


Loki Syndrome 2: In the Service of the King

by itspixiesthings



Series: Loki Syndrome [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Anal Fisting, Anal Play, Anal Sex, BDSM, Begging, Blindfolds, Bondage, D/s, Damsel in Distress, Dark Loki, Dark!Loki, Dirty Talk, Discipline, Dom Loki, Dom!Loki, Domination, Erotica, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Feeding Kink, Femsub, Fisting, Gags, Hand Feeding, Humiliation, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Kink, Loki Does What He Wants, Maledom, Maledom/Femsub, Masochism, Master/Pet, Master/Slave, Masturbation, Objectification, Oral Fixation, Oral Sex, Oral Worship, Orgasm Control, Orgasm Denial, Post-Avengers (2012), Romance, Sadism, Sensory Deprivation, Smut, Spanking, Stockholm Syndrome, Submission, Subspace, Torture, Wax Play, Whipping, exhibition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-30
Updated: 2015-07-23
Packaged: 2018-03-26 12:18:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 54,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3850702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itspixiesthings/pseuds/itspixiesthings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki has succeeded in his complete take over of Midgard, and now his attentions are turning to other realms. But he has made as many enemies as allies, and not all of them are content to let him claim all Nine Realms as his own. Anne will be caught in the crossfire as allegiances are made and broken, and not everyone is as they appear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Serving the King

**Author's Note:**

> It's baaaaaack!  
> This one is going to take some set up before it gets really going, so let's get started!  
> You can look forward to Loki being presented more as a heroic figure and more drama, harlequin romance style!

 

She sat on her knees, still and calm. Nowhere was more peaceful, more serene, then here, at her Master's feet. He sat upon his golden throne, regal and powerful, and she was here, at his feet, and the world was right. Her head rested upon his lap, his fingers entwined in her hair. Affectionately petting her as though she were a beloved pet. Which, of course, she was.

In the days following his take over of Midgard, he had had many offer themselves to him in servitude. Some out of fear, some from the allure of power, some from the sting of force and coercion. But none of them had he given the position or the privilege that he had bestowed upon her. She was his Right Hand, his personal slave, and his pet. And she had never felt more secure or more content with her place in the world in all of her life.

She was dressed in elaborate gold chains, jewelry decorating her topless form and marking her as a slave of the highest standing. A flowing skirt of green hung off of her hips. She always wore gold and green now. They were his colours. They conveyed just who owned her and she was proud to wear them. She drew in a deep breath and breathed out a sigh of content. The world was all as it should be.

A door opened on the far side of the room and she stirred from where she had been dozing, looking up to see a figure walk across the threshold. He was tall, broad, and imposing in stature. He was clad in green overtop of metal armor covering his entire body. As he approached, King Loki moved to stand to greet the guest, and she hastened to do the same.

At his heels followed another man, far more diminutive in stature, dressed in an ill fitting grey suit. He looked decidedly slimy, and a lot meeker then the man he followed after.  
As the larger gentleman reached the throne, both of them bent at the waist to bow in reverence to their King. Loki nodded and extended a hand towards him, and he bent his head over it, grasping it in hand and pressing it to the lips of his mask in the semblance of a kiss.

And then, at a pointed glance from the King in her direction, he grasped Anne's hand as well and repeated the ritual. It was meant as a means to keep the hierarchy well established: Anne was their superior in servitude to the King, and they were well aware of it. But not, as Anne noted the lingering look of contempt that danced in the mans eyes, necessarily _happy_ about it. Were it not for his mask, she was certain that she would see a sneer upon his lips.

She was well aware what Loki's other associates and servants thought of her. She had heard the whispered words of gossip when they thought she was not around. _Whore. Bed slave. Slut._ These words did not bother her, nor did their opinion of her. As she gazed at the guests it was with a sense of satisfaction, for the only person who's opinion of her mattered was her Master's. And if her Master said that such descriptors were pleasing to him, then that was all that mattered.

"You summoned me, my Lord?"  
The mans voice was a deep baritone as he spoke easily to the King. The smaller man who accompanied him observed quietly, but did not speak. Loki regarded them both with a smile, and sat himself again, gesturing to Anne to do the same. She sank to her knees and resumed her former position, resting her chin on his knee as she watched the men who had come to see him.

"Yes, and thank you for coming Victor. I suppose you are aware that I will be leaving Midgard soon to attend to matters in... other realms. " The men did not betray any reaction and simply waited for him to continue. "Now that Midgard is fully under my control, it is time to turn my attentions elsewhere for the time being. In my absence, I will of course need to appoint a Steward to rule in my stead."

Victor's masked face betrayed no emotion, though the man some paces behind looked up in surprise. "Of course, my Lord. Will you be placing the Lady Antoinette in that position?" His voice was aloof and controlled, though he couldn't keep the slightest hint of distaste from coming through. The King glanced down at the girl resting at his feet with a fond smile before looking back to the man before him. "While I have the _utmost_ of confidence in her abilities..." His tone here was laced with warning. His subordinates opinions had not gone over _his_ head, either. "I would prefer to keep her at my side. That is why I am naming _you_ , Victor, as my Steward in my absence."

The man attempted to feign gracious surprise at that proclamation.  
"My Lord... you honor me greatly." He bowed his head to show his gratitude, and a smirk played upon the gods lips. "Yes... I do. I hope, for your sake Doctor, that you do not forget it. Our departure will be in a weeks time... I expect you will be ready for the task by then?"

"Of course, my Lord." The man was all bow's and humble thanks, but there was an air of triumph in him that did not escape Anne's notice. She frowned as she watched the man simper and grovel. His eyes never returned to her, and she was glad for it.

"Good. You are dismissed." With a wave of his hand the man straightened and turned to leave, his associate following at his heels. As the men exited the room, Loki rose from his seat and extended a hand towards the girl still kneeling beside his throne. "Come, pet."  
She took his hand with a smile and stood beside him, and he began walking through the room, in the opposite direction as the guests had exited. She followed dutifully, a pace behind at his side.

"Permission to speak freely, Master?" She inquired with an almost shy voice. She did not often request such liberties. He looked at her sideways with a curious tilt of his head before nodding. "Of course, pet." His voice was kind and affectionate, and she couldn't help but smile at the sound of it before her mind went to other matters.

"I don't trust him. Or any of his lot. He is going to betray you." She spoke matter of factly, presenting her thoughts guardedly and meekly, but with confidence. In reply she was met with the sound of her Master's laugher. A chuckle at first, and then peals of authentic mirth as he tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling for a moment as they walked.

"Smart girl..." He responded as he regarded her with a smile. "You are correct, of course. I would not trust that man as far as I could throw him. Or the rest of his crowd..." he chuckled as he recalled the timid seeming man who had accompanied Victor.

They walked out the room and down a corridor leading to the more private chambers. He smiled as he continued to speak to his pet. "I have no doubt that one day I will need to deal with him. But for now... would you rather I left you in charge? I have every confidence that I could place my trust in _you_ my dear." He smirked as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye to see her crestfallen expression. She lagged behind for a few moments before hastening to his side again. "I... I would like to stay by your side, Master..." She murmured quietly. A broad grin replaced the smirk upon his face and he nodded again.

"That is my preference as well, pet. And so, here we are for the time being. But do not fret so.... when the day comes that Victor von Doom betrays me...." He smiled pleasantly as he opened a door before them with a wave of his hand. "I will make him wish he had never been born."

As they continued she paused, frowning in thought for a moment. The lingering silence between them stretched for some time before he broke it again, softly, though sternly.  
"Are you bothered by my cruelty?" It was with an air of indifferent curiosity that he asked, glancing at her as though he did not care one way or the other. She turned her head to regard him sharply, giving a quick shake of the head. "No, Master."

A smile turned his lips as he watched her for a moment, as though trying to decide if he believed her. "You were, once..." he mused with a hint of a smirk.  
She blushed and gulped at the mention of what had happened what seemed like centuries ago now, and felt shame at how displeased the incident had made him. But she could not feel shame for what she had done. She shook her head forcefully.

"The Avengers... are not the same." She managed to get out, staring at the ground. They came to a stop in front of his chamber doors, and he turned to face her fully. A finger under her chin jerked her face up to look him in the eyes.

"How so?" His tone was blank. Not angry, not patient. Just calm. She bit her lip for a moment before responding. "Von Doom and the rest of them... they just want power. They don't care about the people they hurt. They would stab their own mother in the back if it gained them something. The Avengers... The Avengers are trustworthy. I think they would make good allies for you, if they only could understand what you were trying to do. If they could be made to understand... I know they would aid you Master." She breathed a deep breath, searching his eyes for a response.

He smiled sadly and shook his head. "My dear.... They will never understand, they will never be brought around. Take your Doctor Banner, for instance. When he becomes angry, he turns into a beast of pure rage and destruction. There is no telling how many he has killed, or hurt, in the grips of the terrible monster inside of him. He is in desperate need of a disciplined hand to tame him, and yet despite this, he resists me at every attempt to break the beasts spirit. For his own good, I would control him, but he will not let me in. And do you think the rest of them are any different?" He paused here, moving his hand to rest on her shoulder.

She let out a breath, eyes lowering to the floor, her brows frowning stubbornly.  
"I... I know they could be reasoned with... Master.." Her voice was small as she spoke, not wanting to anger him with her insistence. She needn't have worried, as he drew her closer to him with a smile.

"Perhaps you are right. I have kept them alive as a favour to _you_ , pet. Perhaps you will be able to reach out to them, make them understand all I am trying to accomplish. But..."  
He turned to wave the door open and swiftly stepped inside the room, pulling her in after him. As the door shut behind them she felt herself melt into his body as he drew her close.  
"We have more pressing concerns to turn to at present. That will have to wait."

As he tilted her face up towards his and leaned in to catch her lips in a kiss she felt all the worries in her mind dissipate. A chain appeared in his hand, connecting to her collar and she felt a swell of elation as he tugged at it and lead her to the bed. Her mind slipped into the peaceful, dreamlike state where nothing mattered except pleasing him, and she reveled in the feeling. How desperately she craved his guidance and his touch.

As she was leashed to the bedpost she closed her eyes and felt him pull her over him to straddle his legs, and she was more then happy to oblige. Sex had been softer then usual of late. It had been a while since she had felt the bite of a crop or been restrained by ropes.  
But whatever the physical act was, she was _always_ in submission to his whims, and that was all that mattered. As she felt his lips upon her breasts she gasped and shivered in his arms, and the world had never felt so very at peace.

 


	2. Alfheim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki has moved on to the next stages of his plans for complete dominance of the entirety of the Nine Realms, and taken Anne along with him. Now she will meet new allies, and be privy to the inner workings of his plans and schemes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EXPOSITION AND PLOT OH LORD.  
> Sorry this one took longer then usual... I was really stuck on how to weave all of this dialoging and planning and plotting. Set up is my biggest weakness ;_;

Two men in chains were being led, heavily armed guards on either side of them. One of them stood straight, proud and strong despite the chains that bound his wrists in front of him and his ankles together so that he could only more in short, quick steps. He held his head high, and though he did not waste energy in trying to fight, the glint in his eye made it clear that if given the smallest increment of an opportunity, that could instantly be changed.

Beside him was a much smaller, meeker looking man. The only chain on him connected to a heavy collar around his neck that doused him in a green mist. He was left unbound, and unlike his companion, his eyes showed defeat and pain. He walked with a slump, not even needing to be pushed by the guards on either side. He was compliant.

The two of them were being escorted by a large group of soldiers: an assortment of Ice Giants and thugish humans. The entire group was headed across a platform towards what looked like a giant mirror.. but it rippled as though made of liquid. As the portal loomed before the marching soldiers, the captives swept up in their midst, two figure watched from a distance. Standing upon a higher platform, Loki surveyed the transport of his armies with a air of satisfaction. Anne stood beside him, observing the proceedings. Today she was clothed in ornate green robes... more modest then the slave girl get ups. More official.

A smile spread across his lips as he turned away, no longer interested in watching. He extended a hand to the girl at his side and she reached out to clasp it gratefully as she was pulled in closer to him. "Are you ready to make the journey, pet? Travel between realms will be far more difficult on you than mere teleportation."   
Her eyes went to the portal nearer to them and she took a deep breath. She had never left Midgard before... she bit her lip as a swell of nervousness caused her stomach to turn on itself. What would the journey feel like? What would this other realm _be_ like? For a moment she considered clinging to him in fear, but forced the impulse down and nodded her head. If he wanted her to do it, then she knew she could.  
"I am ready, Master." Her voice was soft, but confident.

He smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Do not fear... I will make certain you are safe." He needn't have said it. She knew already, without a shadow of a doubt, that that was true. But hearing him speak the soothing words aloud still made her smile and grow strong in mind. She could be courageous. She was determined to impress him.

He gently guided her towards the portal, one step after the other. As she gazed at the dark surface of the portal she felt her stomach flip in fear, so instead she turned her gaze up at him as she walked beside him. When she looked at him, she felt the fear disappear, so she stopped looking in front of her and let him lead her. When they reached the portal, his grip on her waist tightened and then with a single step... they were through.

The moment was not long, but it warped her sense of time and the passing of time. For that instant, she felt as though the universe stretched out before her and pulled her every which way. She felt a strange ache begin to crawl across her, as though in slow motion before it became a splitting pain that robbed her of breath. She screamed then and did cling to him, her arms going out to steady herself as she clenched her fingers tightly around the leather he was clad in. It was cold... so _very_ cold, and she was dragged through the cosmos, feeling a sudden loss of reality and then a pull back into a solidity that felt overwhelming as they came through on the other side. Her body was wracked with shakes as her eyes adjusted to her new surroundings, looking around her in bewilderment.

She was half standing, half crouching, still clinging to Loki's side as though her life depended on it. His arm was still around her, and as her breathing came back he knelt down beside her, taking her face in his hands and gently looking her in the eye.   
"Are you alright, pet?" His voice was gentle and concerned. "It is not an easy journey to make for a mortal, and it is your first time. Take your time, and _remember to breath_."

She nodded, and for a moment they were huddled like that on the ground, Anne focusing on breathing, before she was able to look up and take in the scenery. He gently pulled her up to her feet and turned her around to observe.  
"Welcome to Alfheim, my dear." As she looked around, she took in the view of the interior of what looked like a very old castle. It didn't just look old.... it _felt_ old. It was a feeling she would not have been able to put into words, but the place had a _weight_ about it that she could not fathom, and she was utterly certain that this place she was standing in was ancient.  
It looked like something out of a history book, but more lavish and otherworldly. The walls were decorated with intricate carvings of vines and trees, and she blinked as she took it all in.

"This realm is the home of the elves. It is to be my next conquest... though the takeover here will be far... ah.. _easier_ then Midgard if everything goes according to plan."  
He led her down the hall, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We will be meeting an associate of mine. She is of Asgard, and I expect you to mind your manors in her presence. You will address her as My Lady, understood?" Anne listened to his words and felt a growing dread well up in her. She wasn't sure she wanted to meet someone new to be in authority over her. All the allies he had accrued on Midgard he had made very clear were beneath him in status, and beyond that had given _her_ status above them. But an ally from Asgard... this was going to be very, very different.

She swallowed and nodded, feeling small and unsure of herself. "Yes Master..." her voice squeaked out a reply. He seemed to sense her anxiety, and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.  
"Good girl. I know you will not disappoint me." She felt her heart swell and her resolve sharpen _. No, of course, I would never want to disappoint him._

As they continued through the expansive castle, she was struck by how empty the entire place felt. There was little in the way of furnishings, and it looked as though it had not been made use of in some time. They came then to a large set of double doors, which he waved open with a clang. They moved, but slowly, hinges straining at the weight of them. The hallway opened into a much larger room, at the end of which stood a tall woman with long blond hair.

As Anne regarded her she felt a blush rise to her face. The woman was seduction on legs. _Long, long_ legs that seemed to go on forever. She was dressed in a dress that could only be described as _revealing_ , showing off her svelte figure and large breasts. Anne had never been the type to be overly jealous or competitive with other women, but as she took in the sight of this tall goddess she felt a feeling of defensiveness well up in her that was altogether a foreign experience. Lowering her eyes to the floor she followed after Loki, who strode towards the woman with an easy smile upon his face.

The woman looked up and grinned the most seductive smile Anne had ever seen and moved to greet him. She surprised her by throwing her arms around Loki's neck and leaning in to place a kiss on his cheek, her body pressed against him. Loki did not return the embrace, but did not seem to mind her physicality _. "Loki!"_ The woman purred, a pout turning her lips "How long has it been?" He smiled but did not move to return the attentions she was lavishing upon him.   
"Far too long, Amora. Thank you for opening the way for myself and my armies."

She withdrew from him slightly. Anne immediately did not like her and her simpering, eager flirtations. As the woman's gaze turned towards her, she looked away, letting her eyes rest on the floor. It was half shyness and uncertainty, and half dislike and jealousy, that kept her from greeting his new woman. Amora's expression changed as well as she critically took in the sight of the mortal at Loki's side.

"And so _this_ is the little Midgardian pet I have heard so much about?" Her smile was now marred with a hint of malice and critical judgment. As the woman's finger was gently placed below Anne's chin, tilting her face up to be inspected and she met her eyes, Anne realised with surprise how very much her manor reminded her of Loki's. The calm, in control demeanor. The way her eyes stared intently into hers, as if reading all of her secrets in a glance. The forceful way she claimed attention. And the hint of a sadistic twinkle in her eye.

In Loki those traits excited her. They made her scared and fearful, yes, but that fear was something delicious and breathtaking. In this woman, however.... The feeling of dread that welled up inside of her was not exciting or arousing. It was only fear, at a baser and more instinctual level. No, she did not like this woman. She swallowed and forced herself to speak, adopting a polite and even tone. "It.. it is a pleasure to meet you, My Lady." Her voice came out meek and shy, betraying the uncertain emotions that moved through her.

_"She's cute..."_ The woman said with a smirk as she eyed her up and down. "Perhaps later you'll lend her to me, let me play with her..." The words made Anne's stomach clench and turn and her eyes went wide. Loki _wouldn't..._ he wouldn't let her.... _would he?_

Her worry was swept away in an instant as the woman's hand was snatched away from her, and she looked up to see the woman very firmly in Loki's grasp. He held her by the wrist and his eyes narrowed and bored down on her _. "You overstep your boundaries, Amora."  
_ His voice was not raised. In fact it was very soft, but Anne had come to know very intimately the different tones that he implemented, and his tone was very very _hard_. It made you listen all the more intently for how soft it was, and underneath the surface of it boiled an anger that was only just being held back.

She watched as the woman's eyes went wide for a split second, just a second, before her expression settled back into the easy flirtatious smile. She snatched her hand back from him with a gracious nod. " _Apologies_ my King... _Twas merely a jest."  
_ She did not deign to glance again at Anne, and for that Anne was quite thankful. "Send the girl away then, so we can discuss business." Loki looked down at her and pulled her in to him with an arm around her shoulders, and firmly shook his head. "My pet can be privy to all of my affairs. We can discuss anything in her presence."

Amora sniffed at that but then shrugged as though it did not matter to her in the slightest.  
" _Very well..._ Your armies are coming through the portals as we speak. The others will be joining us in two days. Portals of this size are not easy to open or maintain, and I sure you are aware." Loki nodded, inclining his head towards her, but all the while his hand was stroking Anne's shoulder, and Anne leaned into his touch, happy to be near him.  
"Your affairs with the courts of Alfheim are, I imagine, easy enough to execute?" The woman's gaze bored into him in question, and he smiled with easy confidence.

"Once they see the armies at my disposal, and I have key members of the council as hostages, I am certain they will be more then willing to negotiate. The elves are not warriors. They have had peace here for millennia, and they will not be eager to disrupt their way of life. The biggest piece in my plan however, and the most difficult to align, is _Thor_." His eyes narrowed at her at that. This was the part she was to play in all of this, and the easy grin of a seductress graced her lips anew.

"Yes..." she purred, pacing slightly as they spoke, " _Thor._ You want him as a political ally, I want him for a lover. Give him to me, and I in return, will work my magic on him and give him to _you_. We both get what we want out of this arrangement." The blond woman circled Loki like a cat, all grace and finesse in her movements. He did not seem intimidated or concerned, his face a mask of casual amusement. "He has been transported already, you will find him in the dungeons. Mjolnir is still on Midgard, and he has been bound with magical bindings the sort of which would take a sorcerer to undo. He is at your disposal."

"Excellent..." She smiled and sighed happily, before a look of doubt crossed her face. "And what of the Allfather?" The inquiry caused Loki to flinch some, but it was only for the briefest of moments. Anne was getting good at noticing his moods, and a lot of the emotions he kept hidden behind barriers and masks were becoming easier for her to read.

"The bifrost is still unoperational, and I have sealed Asgard off from other means of travel with magic, though it will not hold indefinitely. That is why it is _critical_ that Thor be made to uphold my claims. Once we are through with Alfheim, I will send him back to Asgard in your care to convince the Allfather that all is well, and that I am a fair and just ruler to the realms under my command. He will prevent the Allfather from taking Asgard to war against me. And in return, you my dear will be his queen when he ascends to the throne."

Amora seemed satisfied with that response.   
"Now... how long will it take for your enchantments to take hold on him?" The grin she returned him was filled with malicious intent and giddy anticipation. "Not long... a few days, perhaps. I will have him eating out of my hand in a few days. And then he will vouch for you with the council, I promise you that."

Loki nodded and waved a dismissive hand. "Good. Begin immediately. My pet and I will be settling into the castle in the meantime. I do not wish to be disturbed until dinner. Make certain the servants are all in their proper places and that all of them have recovered from the transport."

" _As you command_ , my King" with a gracious bow, Amora disappeared in a puff of green smoke.  
Anne felt a weight lifted from her chest at the woman's departure. Loki spun her gently around to face him and smiled down at her. "Apologies for her rude behavior. You were lovely. Now..." he gestured around at the empty room, around which were doors leading off into other areas of the castle. "Shall we explore our new place of residence? We may be here for some time."

 


	3. Doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Loki settles Anne into their new place of residence, things take a turn for the worse as Anne's world is suddenly injected with the cold bite of doubt...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some smut! And then some ~DRAMA~  
> Like, hardcore. I have been both anticipating and dreading writing that little exchange.  
> Yeah, I really don't like Amora either. Let me know what you think! Muahah...

As he pulled her into the bedroom, she looked around with a critical gaze. It certainly wasn't as large and luxurious as his palace on Midgard, and the interior décor was not his taste. It was clear he had appropriated what had been available to him here, being now demoted from World Conqueror to once again _Would-Be_ World Conqueror. But that was to be expected, as he had yet to establish himself in this realm.

Still, it was a strange feeling, as he guided her towards a bed with red sheets and not green, and looked around at ornate wooden carvings that did not match the Asgardian design he favored. She did not have long to contemplate interior décor however before he was guiding her to her knees before him with a firm hand upon her shoulder. She felt a swell of excitement as she came to rest between his legs, him seated at the edge of the bed. She didn't need to be told what to do, she was intimately familiar with what he expected of her.

She leaned forward first to nuzzle at his crotch through the leather, closing her eyes and drinking in the smell of him. She adored to just be near to him, pressing her cheek against the prize that was only just out of reach. She knew he liked to see her lavish such attention and worship upon him, and she was rewarded with the sound of a happy sigh escaping his lips and an affectionate hand upon her head, stroking her hair.

 _"Such a good girl...."_ he mused as she reached forward with an eager hand to undo the clasps and buckles at his waist. When his erection came free of the confines of the heavy leather and armor, she spent a moment just kissing it, loving it, and touching it. Feeling the texture of it against her skin.

"So pretty... such a pretty pet." Her heart swelled with the praise, made her crave even more to please him. She leaned in, parting her lips to wrap around the head, letting her tongue roll around it to taste it. He shuddered at her ministrations and she hummed happily in response, content to sit here before him with his cock in her mouth.

"One day when I sit on the throne of Asgard, I shall have you there, _just like this_. I will conduct meetings and treaties, receive diplomats and make proclamations, all while you sit before me, just like this. Servicing me like a good girl, and everyone will know who you belong to. The King's Pet." His words painted a picture in her mind, what it would be like to be on display as a treasured little whore. She shifted her legs, eager to feel the ring between them as her own arousal mounted at his words. Tilting her head back she began to move his cock deeper into her mouth, holding her breath to push it all the way in. As she felt it hit the back of her throat she groaned at the strain of not choking on the length of it.

"Or perhaps I shall fuck you, right in the throne room in front of everyone. Your screams and moans echoing through the court. " Spurred on by such a fantasy, she suddenly pressed forward to hilt him all the way, feeling her lips come to rest against him as she deepthroated the whole thing. He allowed himself a gasp to reward her, tightening his hand in her hair.

 _"Yes!_ Good girl... _do it again."_ She pulled back and then slammed him down her throat again, and he gripped her hair tightly, both hands holding her head and keeping her in place. Her breath was cut off and she fought back the panic and focused on _him_ and on staying calm and _still_. After what seemed like long minutes, but was only mere seconds, he pulled her off of his length and she gasped for breath.

"Or perhaps..." he murmured as he looked down at her, stroking her cheek for a moment before guiding her back to his cock, which slipped easily into her greedy mouth, "I will command you to pleasure yourself. You will sit at my feet, teasing yourself, fucking your own fingers for everyone to see. So beautiful... such a beautiful picture, don't you think?" He began thrusting into her now, allowing her a break as he took over the control and the pace.  
"You will be the jewel in my crown, my most precious treasure, and all will envy me the possession of you. My beautiful little pet."

She groaned around him and squirmed, his words driving her mad with desire. A hand snaked down between her legs to find the ring, moaning around his cock as she rubbed it and teased it. In an instant he was pulling out of her mouth, his hardness slapping her in the face. His voice when he spoke was not angry. He sounded more amused as he continued to smack her face with it. " _Oh no_ my dear, I have not given you permission to play with yourself, not yet. _Greedy little slut..."_ His voice was affectionate and playful as she felt the mixture of precum and saliva across her face. The feeling of his cock against her, stinging her cheek. She leaned in to the blows, her mind slipping into a hazy dream with each one.

"Hands behind your back." At his command she did so, moving her position to lean into him, clasping one hand around a wrist to keep them in place.  
"Perhaps I shall also whip you in front of the whole court, what do you think?" A hand on her jaw forced her mouth open and his cock was plunging in yet again, moving hard and fast at the back of her throat. She whimpered as she pressed her legs together, desperately trying to relieve the ache between her legs. "You will scream out my name, again and again. I will teach you to cum from it, from the lash across your back, and everyone will know what a greedy painslut you are."

She groaned as he spoke, thrusting into her mouth faster now. Her legs clenching as her need became greater and greater, desperately wanting him. Suddenly he pulled himself out of her mouth, and with a tight grip on her hair held her face just below him.  
"Open your mouth and keep your tongue out." he commanded her, stroking his length with his free hand. She swallowed for a moment, feeling nervous. She always swallowed when he came, but she had never had it.... _like this_. But she obediently did as commanded, sticking out her tongue as far as it would go, gazing up at him adoringly.

For a moment she saw his teeth clench before his cum was shooting out at her, covering her face in strings that landed across her. Most of it caught her tongue, and the sudden taste almost made her gag, it was so different then how she was used to it. She concentrated on breathing as she kept still and silent beneath him, in perfect submission to his desires. When he had finished, he smiled down at her with a mischievous smirk. "Lovely... do not swallow it yet. " Moving forward he pushed her on her back and crouched over her, regarding the girl beneath him, now a complete and utter mess.

His hands went to her sides, playfully teasing her before he forcefully spread her legs. She strained to watch him, struggling to keep her tongue out all this while, feeling his seed drip across her face. His hand came to rest just below her bellybutton, and she suddenly felt a warmth spread from his fingers.  
"I am going to make you cum, pet. You have permission to let go as soon as you feel it. This time however, instead of saying my name at the moment of your climax, you will swallow my seed. There's a good girl."

She stifled a gasp as she felt it: whatever spell he was casting was twisting through her body, shooting sharp waves of pleasure through her. It sprang from his fingers and shot through her, coursing downwards towards her clit and making her insides throb. In an instant she felt her hips bucking forward as heat and bliss spread through her, her back arching backwards, her fists clenching at the intensity of it. When she suddenly came it hit her hard. It was a strange sensation, a pleasure that would normally mount and release in just one part of her body was suddenly in _every_ part of her body and she shook and gasped at the foreignness of the sensation. Her mouth closed and she swallowed without even thinking, feeling the taste across her tongue in a way she had never tasted him before. Salty and slightly bitter, it filled her mouth as she came, and then she was screaming and moaning in ecstasy.

When she came down again, her whole body relaxed and she lay on the floor panting and shaking. He removed his hand from her and leaned forward to catch her lips in a kiss, despite the mess that still covered her face. She smiled up at him as he stood, reaching forward to grasp her hand and pull her to her feet again.  
"Good girl...." he soothed, brushing strands of hair out of her face. " _Such_ a good girl... None in all the nine realms is so fortunate as I, to own such a treasure." She felt a blush arise on her cheeks as she drank in his praise.

After a moment he sighed and spun her around, giving her ass a firm smack. "Go and get yourself cleaned up. I have some small matters to attend to, but I will meet you in the dining room for dinner." He gestured towards a door that looked as though it would lead to a bathroom. "You shouldn't have any trouble with the elven facilities. Bathe and ready yourself... I intend to use you quite thoughroughly after dinner." His dark voice laden with such promises made her feel giddy and she nodded eagerly. "Yes Master."

"Good girl" the words whispered in her ear before he vanished, blinking seemingly out of existence entirely. She smiled to herself the smile of the lovesick puppy, and moved to the bathroom to clean up.

 

　

* * *

 

　

 

She smiled as she made her way through the castle to the dinning room. Loki had taken her through the place earlier, had shown her the layout of the large building so that she would not become lost, which one easily could if they did not know the place. She wasn't entirely certain that she wouldn't forget pieces of it, it was so expansive. But she did remember the way to the dinning room where Loki had bade her to meet him. Servants bustled through the halls, also trying to become accustomed to the new environment. Whenever they crossed paths, they tried to stay out of her way, avoiding her eyes.

Eventually she came to the dinning room. It was furnished with a long table, not unsimilar to the dinning hall of the place on Midgard. The table was already laid out with plates and cutlery, the servants preparing to wait on their betters. Loki was not yet here, and she felt a surge of disappointment, before a pang of dread and discomfort arose within her as she looked across the room. Loki was not here yet... but the Lady Amora _was._

The woman smiled easily as Anne entered the room, and moved towards her. Her movements reminded her of a predator stalking it's prey. Not for the first time she was reminded how similar this woman was to Loki in that regard. She took a deep breath and managed a polite curtsey. "My Lady..." she murmured, averting her eyes respectfully, uncertain of what to do, alone in this woman's company.

Amora smirked what seemed a wickedly cruel smile and lifted Anne's chin with a single finger crooked underneath, just as she had earlier. As she gazed down into her eyes, she seemed amused and contemplative. "Polite little thing... he has you well trained." Her observation ended there as she released her, seemingly satisfied with whatever she had been looking for. "It's no wonder what he sees in you... obedience goes a long way."  
The woman began to circle her, looking her up and down, and the casual inspection made Anne blush in embarrassment.

"He clearly favors you... fortunate little mortal. I only wonder how long it will last?" He voice was soft and compelling, purring out in gentle tones that made the listener pay attention. You couldn't help being mesmerized by her voice. Anne frowned and looked at her sharply at that comment, confusion in her eyes. "...My Lady?"  
  
Amora made a saddened tsking sound, matching Anne's frown with one of mock sympathy.  
"Oh... my dear... you didn't think it would last forever did you?" Her voice spoke down to her, like a sympathetic mother explaining the harsh cruelties of the world to a naive child.  
Anne's skin crawled at the easy condescension, and she felt anger bubble within her at the implications of what the woman was saying.

"I... I don't know what you-" Anne's words were cut off as the woman pressed a finger to her lips. "Oh, poor thing... did you think he cares for you?" Here her voice took on a dark edge as her sympathy turned to derision. "Did you fancy yourself his _lover_ simply because he _fucks_ you?" Here she laughed a cruel laugh, and Anne's head went hazy with doubt as her voice surrounded her, spun around her mind, and wove itself into her consciousness.

"Make no mistake, mortal. You don't mean anything to him... you are nothing but a toy. A toy that he will one day grow tired of... When you begin to bore him he will cast you aside, and find a new toy to play with.... and then, all the privilege that you currently enjoy will be gone... you never meant anything to him in the first place.. it was always an illusion. He does excel at them, you know..." Anne shivered and tried to fight back the emotions whirling through her. She parted her lips to protest, to tell this woman how wrong she was, but the words got stuck in her throat. She couldn't seem to think straight, so she shut her mouth again, shaking from the darkness of the ideas that were being put to her mind.  
_Loki... casting me aside... I couldn't bear it..._

Then Amora was suddenly behind her in a flash of green smoke, and whispering in her ear.  
"And when that day comes... your protection will be gone, and he will let _me_ have my way with you. If you think him cruel... you have no idea what I am capable of _. I will use you_ , and _hurt_ you... until there is nothing left of you... until you are but a _shell_ of your former self."

The words poured fear into her heart, fear that did not spin her around with giddy anticipation. Loki had said similar words to her, once... but even then, when he had been about to rip her being apart piece by piece, a part of her knew that he would put her back together, trusted him even when he scared her.

_The only thing that I will promise you.... is that you will Love. Every. Moment of it._

No such promises from this woman. This woman was going to destroy her and leave her as nothing, and it wasn't going to result in something new and amazing, not like with Loki. She shook where she stood, unable to form thoughts, unable to speak, swallowed up by a blackness that took over her vision and threatened to consume her. She felt her mind under siege and she could do nothing but stand there and take it, all the while Amora's cruel laughter ringing in her ears...

And then, the door opened. She felt reality return to itself, the darkness receded and she could see again, she could think again. Loki stood in the doorway, looking calm and complacent, and Amora moved away from her, her presence receding and no longer threatening to overwhelm and break her mind. Anne quickly hurried to Loki's side, feeling dizzy and a sudden emptiness that begged to be filled. His hand moved easily to her chin, tilting her towards him as he planted an affectionate kiss upon her lips before he moved to the table.

"Have you been a good girl?" he said to her with an easy smile as he pulled the chair next to his out and gently sat her down in it before taking his own seat. She nodded mutely, still shaken from the encounter with the woman who gracefully sat herself opposite. Servants appeared to begin bringing in the food, and Loki and Amora began to discuss plans and the status of various aspects of their plans, but she couldn't concentrate. The woman's gaze rarely met hers but when it did there was a cruel smirk of knowing upon her lips.  
Anne tried to eat but found her appetite evaporated. Suddenly sure that she could not bear another moment in this woman's presence, she shyly reached out to tug at Loki's sleeve.

"...Master...?" She spoke softly, hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. He turned to her with a curious frown furrowing his brows. "Yes, pet? What is it?" His voice tender, inviting. She swallowed and stared at her lap. "May... May I be excused... please?" She had never asked him to be excused from dinner early before, and she wasn't certain it would be met favourably. He tilted his head as his frown deepened, looking her over with some concern.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly, and she nodded quickly. "Yes...I.. I am simply tired Master... I think... I think I just haven't recovered completely from the strain of the transport between realms..." She quickly made up an excuse, not daring to meet his eyes. The moment of pause seemed to stretch forever as he regarded her. He was a master of lies... she could only hope that he wouldn't call her on this one. Eventually, he nodded slowly.  
"Very well pet... get some rest in the bedroom. I will come to you later. You are excused."

Relief washed over her as she stood up, eyes still glued to the floor. She could not bare the thought of meeting either of their gazes, so she hurried out of the room with her head bowed. When she reached the hall, she all but ran for the bedroom.

 


	4. Lessons Learned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki manages to get out of Anne what has been eating at her, and has some lessons in store for her afterwards..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *deep breath*  
> I really hope you like this chapter. Its a little dark, a little intense, but I know we can get through this together. I also find it deeply romantic, and I really wanted to do a scene like this exploring the core concepts of D/s that drive their relationship.  
> Warning for slight blood and masochism. Please let me know what you think!

She paced about the room, her mind tied up in knots of anxiety. She had long since cried all the tears she could possibly produce, the encounter with Amora having shaken her to her core. It wasn't that she believed the vicious words that the woman had spoken.... it was just that they had made so much sense when they had been spoken that they rattled her. She knew it couldn't possibly be true... _right?_

 _Loki would never abandon me... would he?  
_ She repeated it over and over to herself like a mantra. Loki would never abandon me. Loki would never abandon me. Loki would never abandon me. But the words felt hollow, poisoned with doubt. Amora had sounded so certain... and she had been right about one thing: Loki _was_ known as a skilled liar, exceling at all manor of deception and trickery. But surely that didn't mean that her place at his feet was not genuine. Did it?

 _I should tell him what happened..._  
But she clenched her fists and steeled her resolve. No, she had to rise above this herself. He had told her once, commanded her in no uncertain terms, to never doubt him again. She wasn't about to let herself fall apart just because of one strange woman's words. She took a deep breath and slowly lowered herself to the ground, curling her knees to her chest. This would pass. _It had to._

She spent the next hour or so curled up at the foot of the bed, her arms hugging her legs close to her. Deep breaths as she tried desperately to calm down, not believe the words that had been so viciously poured into her mind.  
When she heard the door open, her eyes snapped open and her head raised, elation filling her as she took in the image of Loki standing ever so authoritatively in the doorway. He entered the room and closed the door behind him with a wave of his hand. The click of the lock told her they were alone. She rearranged herself to be obediently on her knees, bowing her head and waiting for his touch.

When it came, a gentle hand resting on her back, she looked up at him and was suddenly filled again with a nervous anxiety, Amora's words coming back to taunt her. _It was always an illusion..._  
This _couldn't_ be an illusion. His warm hand, so gentle and tender... she stiffened with worry as she considered the possibility that all of this was a lie. A beautiful, _devastating_ lie...  
A sigh escaped his lips and he straightened out, standing over her, a tower of strength. She looked up at him with wide eyes that were as anxious as they were filled with devotion.

"What is bothering you?" The words were stern, but not unkind as he looked down on her, a concerned frown marring his usually perfect features. She fidgeted some, biting her lip before she shook her head and looked down at her lap. "I... nothing....nothing is bothering me, Master." Her voice small and meek. She knew it was stupid to worry. She didn't _want_ to worry.

There was a lingering moment or silence and stillness. Then, in a moment that happened in a blink, she felt his form near her as he bent over her. She felt his hand wrap around her throat, fingers tightening into her skin. She felt air rush past her as she was pulled up to her feet and then off of them. Instinctively her hands raised to grasp his, and she looked with wide eyes into his face. His eyes flashed with warning, and when he spoke, it was with a disciplinary tone that sent shivers down her spine. She hadn't seen him this angry in a very long time.

 _"Do I need to remind you of your place?"_ She felt air beneath her feet and desperately tried to extend her toes towards the ground. "To _reteach_ you who _owns_ you?"  
He wasn't completely cutting off her air supply, allowing her enough to breath and gather herself. His eyes were angry, but there was a patience in his demeanor that kept her from falling over the edge in fear. Trembling, she tried to shake her head, though he was allowing her limited movement _. "No... no Master!"_ She gasped, her fingers loosening from around his wrist as he held her in place. There was nothing she could do but submit to his control.

His face was inches from hers, and she could feel his breath hot on her cheek.  
"Then do _not. Ever. Lie_ to me." She felt her feet make contact with the ground again and some of the pressure was relieved, though his hand stayed very firmly in place around her throat.  
"Your eyes are red from crying, you could barely look me in the eye at dinner, and you are not being honest with me. Something is bothering you, and I want to know what it is. _Now._ "

His eyes bored into hers, and the intensity made her shudder in his grasp. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, and all of the emotions she had been trying to hold back came rushing to the surface. "I...I... please..." She tried to take deep breaths, but they came out as sobs. His hand left her throat and rested on her shoulder as she tried to steady herself.  
"Please.. don't... _please don't let her touch me_... please I... I don't want anyone else to touch me, I only want you Master, please, only ever you. _Please..."_

His expression changed from one of anger to one of confusion, his frown deepening as he listened to her. Tears began pouring from her eyes as she looked up at him.  
"Is _that_ what is bothering you? Amora's comment when we arrived? I have already dealt with it. She _knows_ that you are off limits." His hand gently touched her cheek as he searched her eyes, concern evident in his own. It only made her shake more and she looked away from him, unable to hold back the sobs.

"But... what about when you get tired of me... please.. _please Master please_ don't get rid of me, don't cast me aside... I.. I want to serve you always, please... I don't... _I don't want you to get bored of me_... please..." She was sobbing uncontrollably now, her knees giving way before him. As she slowly fell to the ground, he looked down on her with an expression of amazed confusion.  
_"What in all of the Nine Realms_ has been putting such _poison_ into your mind?" His tone was incredulous, as though he could not fathom where on earth such fears were coming from. She dared to look up at him, tears streaking her cheeks.  
"She... she said..." she managed to choke out, before his expression hardened, his lips pursed into a thin line as he cut her off.

 _"She_ said? _Amora?"_ He looked away for a moment with a curse upon his lips before his gaze came to rest on her once more. His expression hard and contemplative, as though weighing possible courses of action before his resolve was steeled. With a wave of magic, a chain was leashed to her collar and he bent down to give it a hard tug, lifting her again to her feet. He roughly pulled her robes from her form in one fluid motion, casting them on the ground and leaving her naked, the cool air on her skin.

 _"Come with me."_ His command sobered her, brought her back from whatever dark place of fear Amora's magic had sent her to. She stood, and followed obediently as he began to walk, pulling her along with the chain tightly wrapped around his hand.

A few short paces to a door that she had not yet seen him open. It had no handle, clearly intended to be opened by a magic user. He waved it open and pulled her roughly inside after him. It was a narrow passageway, dimly lit. She had no idea where he was taking her, but it didn't matter. His firm grip on her and hard command's seemed to ground her, pull her back to him in more ways then physical. Amora's words had seeped into her mind, but his control kept the fears at bay. She relaxed into her submission, took deep breaths and focused on him.  
Eventually they came to a dark room. When he lit the lamps with magic, it came into view bit by bit, and she stood stark still, her eyes widening as she gazed at its contents.  
"I _had_ hoped to introduce you to this room under more... _pleasant_ circumstances..." he murmured as he moved around it, bringing light to the space, a sigh escaping his lips "but it is what it is."

It was a harsh looking room. There were many tools and implements in it that made her heart race. A small cage in the corner. An X-frame against the wall. Various other types of bondage furniture that she could not even imagine how they worked. She stood there, gaping, as he circled her and carefully took in her expressions.  
"Does it scare you?" He asked softly, settling behind her and whispering in her ear.  
"...Yes Master." She whimpered her response, looking around at all of the different ways he could restrain her, manipulate her, and control her.

"Mm... does it _excite_ you?" His hand rested around her neck, not tightening, but softly reminding her that he was there. It made her tremble, her legs shaking from the mounting desire as she nodded reluctantly. "Y..Yes Master..." she admitted, shyly looking down at the ground. Her mind was beginning to let go, her earlier anguish and fear being replaced with new fears and new desires.

"Good." He said simply, before his touch left her and he went to a cabinet, surveying the implements at his disposal. "Now... what shall I do with you..." he mused offhandedly to himself as his fingers ran along a variety of tools, most of which she did not even know the names of. She quivered, curiously wondering what each did, torn between fear and anticipation. His hand settled on a long leather bullwhip. "Perhaps simple and classic is the best way to go for this lesson." She bit her lip. It looked remarkably cruel... long and heavy. And she knew well his skill with a lash.

He turned to her and gestured with his eyes to a contraption to the left of the room. It had three spaces, the middle one the largest, clearly intended to hold a persons wrists and neck. A stockade. "Place your arms and neck in position there." She looked from him to the stocks, trembling nervously. As she hesitated for a moment, she suddenly heard the whip SNAP to the side of her face, and though it did not strike her, the sound made her jump.

"Do _not_ make me put you in it myself, you will not enjoy the consequences." His voice was very even, and very serious. He regarded her with an expression of authority, one eyebrow raised as he waited for her to do as commanded. Not wanting to test his patience further, she moved in a daze towards the contraption, her stomach fluttering with fearful anticipation, and bent to place her neck and hands obediently in the cuffs.

She felt a click as he closed the stocks around her, locking them in place. Then he pulled her legs away from it, keeping her in an awkward bent over position as more cuffs secured her ankles. All at once he was in front of her, the whip in front of her face so she could get a good look at it. She felt her stomach clench in fear and her breath quickened.  
"Before I begin, I want you to understand that I am not angry with you. My intention at this time is to _teach you something_ , not to _harm_ you, is that clear?" His voice in her ears was like a breath of fresh air. She whimpered and bit her lip again before responding. "Yes Master."

The coiled whip was pressed to her cheek then, moving against her skin. "Kiss it."  
She shuddered in controlled anticipation, a whimper of want escaping her lips as she closed her eyes and pressed her mouth to it.  
"Lick it." Her tongue darted out to taste the leather, running across it and feeling the texture of it. "That's it _... love_ it. _Worship it_ like it was my cock." She obediently let her tongue caress it, bringing it into her mouth and sucking on it, the taste filling her senses.  
"It is the tool of your education. It is going to teach you a very important lesson. _Thank it."  
_ She opened her eyes to see the whip right in front of them. It felt silly... she felt very small and awkward in that moment, but she could never disobey him _. ".th...thank you..?"_ the words were whispered shyly.

"Good girl. Now pay attention." He moved away from her, the whip removed from her line of sight. She strained to turn to see him but she was very much held in place by the stocks. A lingering moment of dread passed, unknowing where he was.  
Then a harsh SNAP resounded through the room as the whip connected with her bare ass. Her muscles tightened and she gasped aloud at the sting, closing her eyes and concentrating on breathing. Again, SNAP, and the whip made contact with her skin, and this time she screamed, her fists clenching on themselves as she squirmed in the stockade, unable to move from her position. The bindings were a comfort; they made it easier to take the pain since movement was impossible. She didn't have to try to struggle, all she had to do was _scream_ and _take it_.

Over and over the whip landed, the sounds of the blows and her screams cascading through the room. Eventually, after she knew not how many blows had landed, he stopped, and ran a hand across her sore back, leaning over her bent form to whisper in her ear.  
"Why do I hurt you?" the question came, dancing through her mind. She was shaking and panting, trying desperately to wrap her mind around the question. "I... _I don't know_...Master?" she breathed, whimpering with disappointment as his nearness left her again.

"Then you are not paying close enough attention. Try again."  
And he began again. The whip tore at her back, danced across her ass and her thighs, left marks across her shoulders. She screamed and panted, her body shaking from the strain of resisting the blows before she relaxed into them, slumping against the restraints and giving up the struggle for control. When her mind finally let go the sensation changed, an experience she was intimately familiar with. She could feel her wetness drip down her legs as each blow to her raw and aching skin set her on fire, made her head swim with desire. The room seemed to spin around her as she felt each lash as pleasure, and her screams had become moans of breathless want. Finally he stopped again, and the question was repeated. "Why do I hurt you?"

"Because... _because it sets me free!"_ she gasped, rocking her hips towards him, hoping for a touch, a caress, a lash, _anything._ She needed to feel him, _needed_ him to make her hurt, or cum, or both, or... _anything_. Her mind had let go and she was awash in a sea of sensation now. She didn't need to think, to worry, she only needed to exist, obey and experience. His hand came down on her back, and it was cold, so cold. It soothed her raw skin as he ran it across her, hands like ice. She didn't need to look to know he had changed forms. She gratefully leaned into him, loving the sting of the cold.

 _"Now_ you are beginning to pay attention." His stern voice in her ear helped her stay within reality, kept her from drifting away altogether down the rabbit hole of pain. She didn't know what would happen to her in this state without him to act as a tether.  
"Do you not realise that _everything_ I do to you I do for _your_ pleasure? Because you need it, want it, _crave it_. Because it sets your world to rights. It is _all of it_ for you, do you understand?"  
Her mind struggled to listen to his words, to wrap itself around what he was saying, but she was having trouble with the ideas that were being conveyed. She frowned some in confusion as she felt ice cold hands touch her wetness, tease her clit and her entrance. She moaned her desire before she managed to answer. "I..I don't know... I exist to serve and please _you_...Master?"  
Yes, that was it... how could everything he did be for _her?_ That was backwards. She served _him._

His hands were removed from her then and she squirmed and whimpered. Another SNAP of the whip and her hands clenched into fists again, her scream halfway to a moan and betraying how much he was right, how badly she needed and _wanted_ this pain to continue.  
"Yes pet, that is correct. You _do_ exist to please me and my whims. But what you do not understand is that my pleasure is _derived_ from _your_ pleasure. Your submission pleases me because it makes you whole. "

SNAP. The whip elicited another scream from her lips, the skin on her back beginning to break, cuts digging into her flesh and heaven help her, she wanted more. She keened and moaned at each blow, feeling her clit tighten and her pleasure mount. It was a strange sensation but she was beyond questioning it as each new blow brought her closer to ecstasy.  
"Your pain pleases me because it gives you pleasure." SNAP.  
"Your obedience pleases me because it makes you feel secure." SNAP.  
"Your humiliation and degradation pleases me because it releases your mind." SNAP.

Every word he spoke to her only heightened her senses and made each painful strike set her more and more on fire with desire. The picture he was conveyed to her was becoming clearer with every sentence and every cut across her back. She existed to please him, but _his_ pleasure was always bent on _hers,_ and in this way they fed in each other something they _both_ desperately needed. It was a beautiful concept, she had not even thought of it before, had not realised. SNAP. SNAP. SNAP. The strikes were coming faster now, faster and faster, scarring her and making her bleed and she couldn't think anymore, lost now to the pleasure of it.

She shocked herself when she came, careening over the edge into something terrifying but beautiful. Pleasure built between her legs and then suddenly... _released_ , pouring across her back and suddenly every strike was pure orgasm. She bucked in the restraints, screamed, howled, and clenched _. "LOOOOKIIIII!!"_

When her body finally relaxed again, she heard the whip being tossed aside. The blows had stopped. Ice was again upon her back, and she shivered into the soothing touch, desperate for relief on her raw flesh. When her back was finally numb, she felt in a daze as the apparatus that held and restrained her was unclasped. She would have fallen in a heap on the ground, but firm cold hands caught her and lowered her carefully to her knees.

 _I..I came.. I didn't have permission but I came..._  
She felt nervous, but she knew that she could trust him. He would punish her, perhaps, but it didn't matter because all she wanted was to serve him. She would submit to anything for him.  
She knelt shivering at his feet, and he straightened his back and towered over her, his stance wide and imposing.

"Lick my boots." He placed one foot in front of the other, close to her, and she immediately bent to the ground to obey. Her tongue darted out to taste him, not a thought in her mind but obedience and submission, the act fulfilling her in ways nothing ever had. And now knowing that _that was the point_ , not just a happy by-product of the arrangement, she felt a swell of admiration and awe at this man who knew _exactly_ what she needed. Her lips pressed against the leather again and again, worshiping his feet in reverence.  
_"Why do I hurt you?"_ He asked for a third time, and this time she didn't hesitate in response, pressing her face against his boot _. "Because you love me."_

"Because _I love_ you. _Everything_ I do to you, every pain I deal you, every time I make you cum, or humiliate you, _all of it_ is a product of my affection and high regard for you."  
She felt tears spring to her eyes again, this time in a swell of emotion that made her giddy like a schoolgirl, light headed and fluttery. She sniffed as she held back from sobbing on his boots.  
"And in return, all of your _screams_ , all of your _moans_ , every time you prostrate yourself before me or call me _Master..._ That is how I know that I own your _heart_ as much as I own your body."  
She couldn't hold it back any longer. Her body began to shake as she wept openly, bent over his feet, and over the moon with happiness.

Anne had never been one to cry from happiness, but right now, at this mans feet, at his expression of love and devotion she could not conjure a single other reaction but to weep. It was a strange experience, to be so overcome with joy that she could not hold back tears and sobs. "And to think that you would believe and take to heart the words of a stranger... over what you _know_ of me and my affection for you.... I am greatly disappointed." His tone now was softer, and tinged with a kind of sadness that she couldn't recall ever hearing from him before. She felt shame well up in her and she looked up at him imploringly, tears staining her cheeks.

"I'm..I'm so sorry.. I'm sorry Master.." She gasped between sobs.  
_"Do not apologize_. You did not do anything wrong, pet. But I _need_ you to understand the nature of our relationship." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, ice cold hand resting on her head gently, soothingly. It warmed gradually as his form shifted again, and she could feel the warmth begin to radiate from his previously ice like body. When he opened his eyes again he looked down at her with a compassion that was mixed with hurt. "I don't _ever_ want you to be afraid that I might grow tired of you and cast you aside _ever again_ , is that _clear?"_

She nodded quickly, her head spinning with all of the emotions that had been wracking her mind. She didn't ever want to be the cause of such hurt in his eyes. "Yes Master."  
She bowed her head again, kissing his boots and moving up his legs. She was overwhelmed with an insatiable need to be nearer to him, to touch him, to worship him. Her lips kissed up past his knees, her face nuzzling into him, adoring him, and her hands came up to cling to him with desperation.  
  
"Good girl... _I will deal with The Enchantress Amora._ In the future if you are ever bothered by something like this again, you will tell me _immediately_. Is _that_ clear?"  
"Yes Master" she breathed, and he sighed again, as though he had been holding his breath and only just now allowed himself to relax. He knelt beside her, wrapping warm arms around her form and drawing her close to him, setting her head against his chest.

"Ma..Master..?" she whispered, still feeling raw and vulnerable. Her hands grasped the leather of his shirt as she clung to him.  
"What is it, pet?" His voice was soft and gentle, his hands stroking her hair tenderly.  
"I..I'm sorry I... I came without your permission.. I didn't mean to..." She bit her lip as she whimpered. It wasn't that she wanted punishment for her actions... but she wanted, needed to know that the boundaries he had placed on her life were firm, that it had not gone unnoticed.

He smiled and let a soft chuckle fall on her ears. "That _was_ surprising... you have never cum like that before. I don't doubt that you did not even realise what was happening, so I will forgive your mistake this time. And even in the midst of it, you _did_ remember to scream my name. _Such a good girl..."_

Content that he _had_ taken note of her misconduct and had forgiven her for it, she finally relaxed completely into his embrace. It was the safest, most beautiful place in the world, his arms. Her sobs had subsided and she felt exhausted, but more content and at peace then ever before.  
They stayed like that for a good long while, him just holding her and her clinging to him, before he stirred. She had been dozing off in his arms, and the sudden movement from him made her frown in a dreamlike confusion.

"Come, pet. I will treat your wounds. And then.... you did not eat much at dinner today. We must get some food into you." As he stood he swept her up into his arms, and began to carry her back down the hall to the bedroom. As she held to him tightly, she looked over his shoulder at the sex dungeon full of wicked implements and bondage equipment and shivered in his arms.

"Master?" Her voice was hesitant and shy.  
"Yes, pet?"  
"Can we... play in here again?"

A devious smile graced his lips as he planted a kiss on her forehead.  
"Oh my dear... you could not avoid this room if you wished it."

 


	5. Table Manners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the intensity of their previous session, Loki tends to Anne's needs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS SUPER FLUFFY AND IM NOT EVEN SORRY!  
> Its a kink I have been wanting to include for a long time, just never knew how to work it in until now. Please enjoy!
> 
> You'll have to wait a bit, I think, before we see how Loki deals with Amora >:)  
> Please let me know what you think ^_^

She was in and out of a comfortable doze on the bed, barely aware of his hands tending the cuts on her back. All she felt was a warmth enveloping her, and she sighed contentedly in the fuzzy sleeplike state. He was allowing her to rest after the intensity of the session, dutifully caring for her wounds. A wet warm cloth cleaning them. Bandages to dress them. He could, of course, simply heal her with magic, and he often did. He would at least be certain that she would not scar.... unless he wished it. But the natural healing process was as much a part of the experience as the lashing itself, and she preferred half the time to feel the evidence of it for days.

When he was finally done tending her, his hands came to rest on her shoulders, gently shaking her awake. She stirred and murmured, turning to blink up at him through bleary eyes.  
"Wake up, pet. It is time for dinner." His whispered words pulled her back from dreamland. She took a deep breath in slowly as she focused on his voice, reluctantly sitting up as he bade her. Her back ached, but she smiled at the feeling.

"I have sent a servant to fetch some food. It will be here shortly. In the meantime..." He tugged at the chain connected to her collar and she eagerly followed him up off of the bed. With a gentle hand upon her shoulder he guided her to her knees in front of him where he sat at the edge of the bed. He smiled gently, a hand caressing her cheek as he gazed down at her fondly. She loved it when he looked at her like this. Like she was the most beautiful thing he owned.

He sighed softly before speaking.  
"I am afraid I have been remiss in my attentions towards you, pet." A regretful tone laced his words and she frowned in confusion. "...Master?" She wasn't certain what he meant by that.  
She certainly would never say anything could be lacking. She _adored_ him, and adored serving him. "I have been too soft with you, I think. You require more rigid structures in your life in order to feel secure. Is that not so?"

Her frown deepened as she thought about it. It hadn't occurred to her, but then, half the time he knew better then she did what she needed or wanted. She wasn't certain what _'more rigid structures'_ meant, either, and was nervous at the sound of it. But she would certainly never argue with him on anything. "I... I don't know, Master..." she managed a response, as honestly as she could. She knew he had only asked as a courtesy anyways, her opinion on the subject didn't really matter, and that in and of itself gave her a feeling of security.

His smile was gentle as he continued to run his fingers across her skin.  
"You do not? Luckily, _I do_. Do you trust me that everything I impose upon you is for your own benefit?" She nodded quickly at that. Of course she trusted him. "Then starting today, there will be some new rules for you to follow, and I expect you to adhere to them _without complaint_. Is that understood?"

She felt a nervous tickle run down her spine as she nodded again. _New rules? Would they be difficult?_ "Yes Master."  
"Good. Beginning with dinner."  
At that moment a knock came at the door, and he looked towards it calmly. "You may enter."  
A servant entered the room with his head bowed. Loki's servants were all very well trained, as he demanded only the best from everyone in his employ. The boy, who couldn't be more then 16, was well dressed, and knew to keep his eyes down in the presence of the King. He was carrying a tray upon which rested all manors of foods, and Loki nodded towards the bed.  
"You may place it there." The boy did so, still with his eyes averted, and then stood before them, head bowed. Anne was well past the stage of being embarrassed at her nakedness around the servants. They knew what she was. And she did not care what they thought.

"You are dismissed." At those words the boy left quickly, the door shutting behind him, and they were alone once more. She could smell the food and her stomach growled in anticipation.  
Loki smiled down at her, resisting the urge to chuckle.  
"Now... From now on, you are not permitted to sit at the dinner table for meals. You will kneel at my feet, and _I will feed you._ I do not care who else is in the room, who else can see, _you will do this_. Is that understood?"

Her attention was immediately back on him. Her initial emotional response was one of discomfort, and her eyes widened at the implications. It sounded wretchedly humiliating, not being allowed to sit with him for meals. As though she were less than human. But she took a deep breath and nodded. She trusted him that he knew what he was doing.  
"...Yes Master..." She said in agreement, although she could not keep a hesitancy out of her voice, which did not go unnoticed. He eyed her with one brow raised.

"Did you have something to say on the subject?" His words were a warning, a challenge. She shook her head quickly. "No Master."  
"Good. Then let's get some food into you." As he spoke he leaned over the bed to pick up a fork, upon which he skewered a piece of meat. Bringing the morsel towards her, she instinctively reached out with a hand, only to have him withdraw with a reproachful frown.  
  
" _Ah ah ah_... not with your hands. Place them behind your back." Though his tone was stern, it was also playful and singsong, and she let out a small huff of frustration. She wasn't sure she liked this new game. But she obediently did as commanded, bringing her hands behind her back.

As she did so she felt a silk ribbon move around them, tying them in place. Out of habit she tugged at them slightly to test their security. They did not give. Loki smiled and let a slight chuckle escape his lips.

"You will not necessarily always need to be bound, but you will be until you have learned your proper behaviors. Don't fret... you are a clever pet, I am certain it will not take you long to learn. Now open wide..." His voice sang out to her and she looked up at him, a perturbed pout upon her lips. He didn't seem angry about her trouble adjusting to the new procedure, in fact he seemed amused by all of her flustered and frustrated expressions. His eyes twinkled as though he was only barely holding back from laughing at her, so she indulged just a little in pouting before she acquiesced and opened her mouth.

As she closed her eyes she felt the meat being placed between her lips and suddenly her mouth exploded with flavour. It was the most savory, delicious meat she had ever tasted. Closing her lips around it she felt the fork withdraw and she began to chew. It tasted gamey, had a slight spice to it, and was as tender and juicy a cut of meat as you could ask for. She opened her eyes in wonder and looked up at him as she swallowed. Her frustration with the entire arrangement was momentarily forgotten. " _What on earth was that?"_ She asked breathlessly, convinced she had just discovered _the greatest thing in the world._

Then he did laugh, a gleeful and honest sound of mirth as he gazed down at her.  
" _Nothing_ on earth. I don't doubt that you were too distracted at dinner to notice, but these are not Midgardian dishes. They are _elven_ specialties. The meat is from a bird called a Hunma, which is a common enough bird in Alfheim, but because it is so fast and clever, it takes a very skilled hunter to catch it. It's meat is renowned for its naturally tender nature, since it rarely ever lands, preferring to stay most of its life in flight. I take it you like it?"  
Her eyes were wide as she drank all of this information in. She nodded and he brought another piece to her lips, which she accepted eagerly, closing her eyes and enjoying the flavours that burst across her senses.

Each piece of the meal was something entirely new to her, and he explained what each dish was. She had up until now sort of forgotten that she was no longer on earth... it was easy enough to ignore that there were no longer any electronic signals to monitor here, and she had had other things on her mind of course. But the food... it was so different, so full of flavors she hadn't even known existed.

As the meal progressed, each bite being bestowed upon her by his grace, she felt awe well up within her. It felt strange and exciting to be so dependant on him, relying on him for even the basics of her survival in such a close and _intimate_ way. _Damn him, he was right._ He was _always_ right. As he fed her each bite she felt more and more serene, each piece cementing the power exchange that was always at play between them, making it seem more concrete and yes, making her feel that much more secure. When he had finished sweetly explaining what each new dish was, and the meal continued in silence, she felt herself more and more worshipful towards him for taking care of her so amazingly intimately. His attention so wholly focused on her, on her wellbeing. She almost swooned for him, letting small whimpers and moans fill the room when the intensity of his focus overwhelmed her.

Then when the meal had passed, he leaned over the bed to fetch a bowl and spoon. She could not see the contents of the bowl, but as he raised the spoon from it, it looked like it must be filled with a kind of pudding. It was a pale golden colour, and he hovered it in the air as though contemplating, looking from it to her with a frown.

"Now... _I don't know_... desserts from Alfheim are known to be so sweet that they are a little overwhelming... sometimes even addicting, and I'm not certain how a Midgardian might react to it. Perhaps you are not ready yet..." He teasingly waved it just out of reach of her, and _oh_ the smell was _intoxicating_. Her stomach growled again with frustration and she tried to lean up to snatch it from him, but he withdrew it and slid the spoon into his mouth, licking his lips with a chuckle at her pout.

"I'm afraid it may be a little too much for you. I shall save you from it." His mischievous smile only made her pout more, anxiously trying to move closer to him. He eyed her with a cheeky grin before he took another spoonful from the bowl.  
She huffed as she watched him eat another spoonful, leaning her head against him and putting on her best puppy dog eyes. " _oh...pleeease..?"_ She bit her lip with a whimper, gazing up at him imploringly.

A broad smile broke out across his lips, and she knew that that was what he had been waiting for, damn him. He tsked with a patronizing frown and overacted making a big deliberation.  
"Well now I don't know.... have you been a good enough girl for desserts?"  
She pouted again and nodded her head, the smell from the pudding making her positively desperate. It smelled like every good thing you could imagine, like honey and fruits and chocolate, with an edge to it that made it impossible to ignore.  
"Yes...Yes Master!" She smiled as she implored him, knowing that this was a game, and she was happy to play along. He looked so content as he smirked at her, pretending to carefully consider her assertion.

 _"Beg me for it."_ His playful tone was music to her ears and she eagerly nuzzled her face against his thigh, batting her eyelashes at him and pouting with abandon.  
"Oh please _...please Master.._ please I've been _so good..._ please..." Her heart raced as she spoke, the delicious, playful debasement sending tingles through her nerves. "It smells _so good..._ please.. please let me taste it Master... _just a taste_ , please.."

"Now now... why should I give in to you, you greedy little thing hmmm?"  
She bit her lip and gulped, frowning at him with a pout of disappointment. "Because I've been _such a good girl_ Master... I have _I have_... please... please let me have a taste?"  
His delighted laughter was music to her ears, and she was almost happier about that then she cared about the desert. _Almost._ She loved to please him, and if her begging pleased him then she would beg all day. But the tantalizing smell of the desert was also spinning her head, and she sighed happily when he nodded finally.

"Alright pet, alright... you have been so good for me. Open wide..."  
She closed her eyes and eagerly parted her lips as he slip the spoon into her mouth. And then she froze. The world seemed to drop out from around her as the taste hit her senses. It tasted just like it smelled, but better. It was one of those flavours that one could only describe in abstract concepts, like saying it tasted like honey and the wind in your hair. Or like raspberries and the feeling of floating. She shuddered and felt tears prick her eyes as she looked up at him, desperate for another bite.

 _"Like it?"_ he teased, and she leaned into him, pleading for more with her eyes and her body.  
_"I think its my new favourite thing in the whole wide world."_ At that he chuckled and shook his head as he scooped up another bite for her. "In which world?" He gingerly placed the spoon on her tongue again, his eyes twinkling as he watched her expressions.  
"In _every_ world" she asserted as she swallowed, looking up at him adoringly. He laughed again.  
"You have barely even begun to try all of the delights from all of the worlds."

She felt her vision begin to swim somewhat, and her body felt like it was vibrating. After a few more bites, he put the bowl away. She frowned, knowing there was more in it still because she could smell it, but he shook his head, placing a finger to her lips.  
"That is quite enough for you, pet. It is very potent, and I don't want you completely... what do you Midgardians say... _high_." He swiped a bit of pudding still on the corner of her lips and fed it into her mouth, and she hungrily sucked his finger, letting her tongue loll around it and get all of the flavour she could off of it. Then she was just sucking, feeling a sort of bliss fill her, and a comfortable disorienting spin around her. His finger felt amazing in her mouth.She whimpered in disappointment when he withdrew it, but he only smiled and snapped a finger to release the ties around her hands.  
  
"Now it is quite late my dear. It is time for bed." He pulled gently at the leash, and she raised herself to her feet. "From now on before bed, you will undress me. I expect you to exercise care with my clothes and armor... I will teach you how to undo it and where to place it." She nodded as she listened. Usually he would simply magic his clothes away, but she was beginning to understand what he was doing with these new regulations. He was giving her more of a _purpose_ , and she relished the opportunity to please him with her obedience and service. Since helping him to gain Kingship of Midgard, she had not had much in the way of things to _do_ for him.

He pulled her nearer to him, and she reached out to touch him hesitantly. The next half hour consisted of him teaching her how his complicated leathers worked. Asgardian clothing was complex compared to what was worn on Earth. She listened dutifully, knowing that he was not wearing even close to the most complicated garb he owned. She peeled it away from him bit by bit, and was once again swept away by the intense _intimacy_ of the act. She felt _honored_ to be serving him like this, to be allowed to touch him like this. He instructed her gently, but remained still as he watched her do the work. Watched her fold various items to his specifications, place them in their places in the room before returning to him again. When he was finally divested of all of his clothes, he smiled and gently pulled her towards the bed.

She blushed deeply, her mind still caught in that submissive space, her body agitated. She took a deep breath as she looked at him, hesitating. He was clearly leading her to get into the bed so that they could sleep, but she wanted... She bit her lip nervously. She had never initiated sex before. It was always _him_ , _his_ timing, and _his_ whims. She knew that she could never demand... but maybe, he would be open to _requests_.... but that would mean admitting out loud how much she wanted him.

"Ma...Master...?" She whispered, tentatively hovering near the bed where he lay now, waiting for her. He quirked an eyebrow at her curiously. "Yes, pet?"  
"I... please..I..." she felt her body tremble and she stopped, shyly fixing her eyes upon the ground. He frowned and sat up, watching her patiently. With a deep breath and a gulp, she clenched her fists and made up her mind to do it.  
"May I... I want... _please may I suck your cock Master?"_ her voice terribly small, and she immediately regretted speaking, feeling like she could just sink into the floor to escape from his critical gaze. The silence that hung in the air was deafening and she shut her eyes tight in a futile attempt at escaping it.

What she didn't see was the smile that slowly crept across his face as he watched her closely. He chuckled darkly and she felt the leash pull her suddenly towards the bed, and she let herself be pulled forward until she had fallen onto it beside him. In an instant, he had spun them around and landed on top of her, pinning her down to the sheets with an animal ferality.  
"Oh pet.. are you so desperate to taste me? To please me?" She whimpered and nodded, not daring to meet his eyes. His voice was darker now, not angry but filled with a lust that she had not heard in a while. It woke her senses and created an ache in her core. She could already feel herself becoming wet for him.

His hands began to move across her naked form, his hips keeping her motionless beneath him. One hand grasped her wrists and held them firmly above her head, while the other moved down her torso towards her legs. Her back stung from the sudden movement and pressure, but she didn't mind.. in fact it only excited her more. She moaned aloud, desperately wanting more of his touch. "Please... _Master..."_  
  
He chuckled and released her suddenly, raising himself above her and looking down at her with a fond smile. "Such a good girl... so cute when you beg. I think I will make you beg much more often." Then he leaned up to hook her leash to its place on the headboard.  
"But not tonight." At her disappointed groan he shushed her with a finger to her lips.  
"I am very tired. And so are you, my dear. You have been through a lot today, and I want you to get some rest. But we will play tomorrow... I promise. Is that clear?"

She sighed and nodded meekly, resigning herself to his will. As he lay down he drew her close to him and all of a sudden fatigue hit her and she realised that, once again, _he was right_. She was exhausted. As sleep overcame her and her mind floated off into unconsciousness, his warm arms wrapped so protectively around her, she had only one thought in her mind.

Dammit, he's _always_ right.

 


	6. Bathing Etiquette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Anne take a bath together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg so I swear I was going to write a plot chapter but then ooooppss I wrote a smut scene instead.  
> Next chapter will advance the plot, I promise!

“Wake up, pet…”  
His singsong voice cut through the daze and she blinked awake. She was tangled up in his arms, warm and comfortable in his bed. She screwed her eyes shut again and nuzzled into him.  
“Mff… not yet…” her voice was sleepy and only slightly petulant. He chuckled softly, willing to allow her this small bit of backtalk. Strong arms squeezed around her, and she all but melted into the embrace, letting out a soft sigh of contentment.  
  
Some moments passed like this, and she was more then happy to savor it. She stirred, slowly waking up with a comfortable glow. She was grateful that he was in an indulging mood, or her little display of mild rebellion could have resulted in a far rougher awakening. When she was finally awake enough to form thoughts she leaned up some to meet his eyes shyly, and he smiled a lazy smile before sitting up in the bed.  
  
“Come now… I promised you play time today.”  
She perked up at that, and he unhooked the leash from the headboard and gave it a light tug, which she was more then happy to follow. He lead her gently from the bed to the bathroom, the leash disappearing in a flourish of magic once it was no longer necessary. He let his hands linger across her form, gently touching her waist and then her bottom before giving her a small push towards the bathtub.  
  
“Draw up a bath.” His voice was low and mellow, whispering into her ears and making her wake up in more ways than one. She nodded and moved towards the tub, muttering “Yes Master..” shyly. The tub was soon filling with hot water, and he leaned casually in the door-frame, just watching her. She blushed as she looked at him, suddenly unsure of herself. It was strange if she paused to think about it, but even with how long she had belonged to him now, he still made her feel as shy and bashful as a young virgin. One would think she had nothing to blush about anymore, but the way he gazed at her with that combination of affection and _ownership_ never failed to make her feel small and uncertain. Which in turn only made her all the more dependent on him to guide her.  
  
When the tub was filled, and it was a rather large tub, he sauntered across the room at a lazy pace, eyeing her hungrily as though he were a wolf and she his prey. That gaze always made her quiver in anticipation. The moment that lingered between then was intense and electrifying as he touched her shoulders gently before pulling her with him into the tub. She felt giddy as the hot water enveloped her, him guiding her down to sit facing him.  
  
“Now… Another duty for you to add to your daily list is to bathe me. ” He nodded towards the soaps and the scrub brushes, and she felt a thrill of anticipation arise in her. Wash him… just like a real personal attendant… like a _slave_. She felt a shy smile tug at her lips at the thought.  
Yes… she wanted to serve him like this. Was desperate to touch him again with the intimacy of last night. No other slave or servant had the right to touch him, and even she only had that right when he granted it to her.  
  
She nodded quickly and moved towards the soaps, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. There was amusement in his eyes though his words were strict. “Your movements are too sudden, too fast. Have some delicacy in all that you do, pet. Take care and be graceful.”  
She nodded slowly, thinking the command over. She had been excited and had lurched towards the soaps, but he wanted her to be slower, more precise. She wondered then how often her movements and behaviors lacked grace, and she made a mental note to correct herself.  
  
Slowly and carefully she lathered up some of the soap, the scent washing over her with a wave. It was an exotic scent, tinged with honey and spices, and it filled the steamy room. As she worked it up on the brush, he turned his back to her, the water sloshing around them at his movements. She blushed as she then moved to touch him, running the soapy brush across his back. It made her feel lowly, working diligently to serve her Master, made her feel her _place_ all the more acutely. This was where she _belonged._  
  
He was silent the entire time, and the silence was heavy upon her. Nervousness welled through her as she built up a lather and then washed it off, pouring water over him. Eventually he turned around so she could administer the same treatment to his front, and she found she could not meet his eyes. They watched her intently, a hint of a smile upon his lips, but he did not speak until she was finished. Once the water was frothy with soap and her task completed, she rested into a kneeling position before him, bowing her head. He smiled then, and tilted her chin so her eyes met his.  
  
“Good girl… you are taking to these tasks very well. I am proud of you. ” At his words she felt her heart flutter with elation. Once again she reflected upon just how much she lived for any amount of praise from him. Nothing had ever fulfilled her like his pleasure.  
Then the world shifted as he moved forward over her to lay her back in the water. Her head rested on the lip of the tub, and she felt more exposed then usual, the hot water running across her skin, making her flush, her legs naturally opening before him. His hand went down to lightly touch her exposed womanhood, gently teasing her clit. The ring behind it causing instant stimulation at his touch, and she could not help but moan aloud at the sensation.  
  
“Hmm… perhaps you deserve a reward for being such a  good girl… what do you think?” His voice teased her and she bit her lip, nodding eagerly.  
“Yes…please… _please_ Master…” she whimpered, laying beneath him passively, just like he liked. The heat from the water was making her slightly dizzy, and his touch was already arousing her desire. Her hips moved to meet his hand almost instinctively, and when he pulled his fingers away from her, she frowned and moaned a sound of protest.  
“Hmmmm… how _badly_ do you want it?” he asked as his fingers moved to trail across her breasts, lightly teasing her nipples, circling one and then the other.  
  
“Pleease… please Master…” she squirmed underneath him, her breath beginning to come in short pants of want.  
“Please _what?_ ” He smiled innocently, as though completely unaware of what she wanted, and truly needing the clarification. She frowned and hesitated. She was not good at putting her desire into words. She was too bashful, too reliant on him to simply carry her through whatever experience he chose, to actually vocalize what she desired.  
  
“Please….” she began, her voice small and meek, barely a whisper. “. _…touch me…_ ” She hoped that would be enough. A dark chuckle filled the room as his hands continued to roam her body, before coming to rest at her asshole. His other hand hoisted her legs up and forced her to shift beneath him, bringing her knees up near her head. It was an embarrassing position, and she gasped in momentary alarm. Felt a finger gently massaging her hole, her eyes betraying surprise.  
  
“Was _this_ where you wanted me to touch you?” he asked, slowly working a finger into her, and she groaned at the sensation before she slowly nodded, a hesitancy in her voice. “…yes Master…” she replied, but he frowned and narrowed his eyes as he looked down at her.  
“Don’t say what you think I _want to hear_ , love. Answer me _truthfully_.”  
  
She gulped and nodded again, trying to figure out what to say. “Y..yes… and no…Master” she tried again, blushing as she looked away from him, hesitant to see his intense eyes upon her flustered body. A movement of his finger made her gasp again before he slipped another one into her, her muscles easily relaxing due to the heat of the water.  
  
“Mmm… _please_ , elaborate.” he teased, fully knowing how difficult this was for her. His piercing eyes watched her every expression as he played with her ass, wiggling two fingers inside of her and stretching her around him.  
“I…I wanted… _any_ touch…Master… but its not… what I was expecting…” she managed to get out, shame written across her face as she screwed her eyes shut to avoid his gaze.  
“Hmm… what were you expecting?” He smiled a wicked smirk, fully enjoying her discomfort.  
“I…” she whimpered her embarrassment, “I was expecting… you to touch… _ah!_ my..my…p..pussy… Master…” she admitted, feeling herself relax into his fingers as he swirled them around inside of her.  
  
“Aahhh… I see… but do you not like this as well?” his voice purred to her, and she moaned at the intensity of the sensations unfolding inside of her.  
“Yes…Master… but its.. its _strange_ …” the admittance made her face burn, unable to put into words what this felt like. It was an odd feeling. It felt deeper and more intimate then when he touched her womanhood, as though it touched a deeper core of her.  
“I have fucked this hole before… did you not enjoy it?” he asked, and she nodded quickly.  
“Yes Master.. but you.. _.ooohhh._.. it wasn’t ever just.. _. just_ …” She gasped as a third finger slipped inside of her.  
  
“I understand… You have never focused completely on just this sensation before… always so many other things to overwhelm you, yes?” he chuckled as he lifted her hips more, opened her up with his fingers. “Aahhh…. you open _right up for me._.. good girl…”  
She was breathing heavily now, panting and moaning with every movement from his torturous fingers.  
  
_“How does it feel?”_  
She gulped and whimpered, trying to collect her thoughts. “It feels.. good.. _so good_ Master… but its.. its _strange_.. I feel like.. like I need to… go to the bathroom…”  
He chuckled at that and nodded, moving as though to inspect her. “Ah… _but you do not_.. in fact you are quite clean my dear….” His fingers continued to tease her, making her buck and moan. She could feel her pussy becoming wet with every moment, her clit throbbing from the torment.  
  
“I will teach you to crave _everything._ To take pleasure from _anything_ I choose to do to you… you have already learned to take pleasure from pain, and that pleases me greatly pet. But now, you will learn to take pleasure from _this_ , as well.”  
She groaned as she felt her ass stuffed as yet another finger was added, was amazed by how much he was filling her with. She was aware of an intense feeling of fullness. And then, in a cruelly swift motion, he removed his hand from her ass, and she felt a crushing emptiness as the fingers were dragged out of her.  
“Aah… _n..no.. please Master._..” she whimpered, her eyes opening to look at him fully, pleading with him not to stop.  
  
“Aah… so you _do_ like it…” he murmured to her, and she nodded quickly.  
“ _Beg_ me to continue. Show me how _badly_ you need my attentions.” His fingers remained painfully away from her, and she whined in her distress. Biting her lip in hesitation.  
“Please… _please don’t stop_ please Master…” She watched the corners of his eyes crinkle in amusement as he held back from laughing, clearly enjoying himself with her.  
“What was that? _I can’t hear you_ my dear…” His smirk was downright sadistic as he carefully watched her every reaction.  
  
“ _PLEASE!_ Please master… please touch me, anywhere you want, anywhere.. I… _I need your touch_ , please… ” Her eyes were closed as embarrassment overwhelmed her, made her blush and squirm. “I’ll.. I’ll take pleasure from _anything you want_ Master.. please just don’t stop… _please.._..” She pleaded with him, begged him. He did chuckle then as he listened to her until finally, mercifully, his fingers slid inside of her again. All four, as though they had never left, her muscles still relaxed and stretched. She felt the weight of them, the fullness again, the intense sensation vibrating through the inside of her. It made her gasp and moan aloud, her back arching into his hand.  
  
And then, his thumb slipped in. He made his hand compact for a moment… and then _pushed_. She thought she felt the world spin around her as his hand slipped in past the knuckles… and then he made a fist. Her eyes widened as she stared at him in disbelief. She hadn’t expected _that_. She felt fear overtake her, an unfathomable fear that gripped her as she realized what he was doing, and felt herself clench around him before his soothing voice rang out to shush her.  
“Shhhh… relax darling… pet… _hush_. It’s alright… _trust me_.”  
  
She took a deep breath and allowed the muscles to relax again. And then… he moved his hand. She screamed a deep, guttural moan of pure desire as she felt his fist begin to move inside of her, and it was the most amazing, most _terrifying_ sensation she had ever felt. She gasped and willed herself to stay still, afraid of what would happen if her body lurched suddenly. His fist moved back and forth inside of her, _fucking_ her ass, and she felt completely and utterly filled to the brim.  
  
“There now…. beg me not to stop. _Beg me_ for the privilege of cumming with my fist up your ass.” The water was beginning to splash now with the movement as he leaned over her, hungry eyes taking in her form, watching her. She gasped as she felt the feeling deep inside of her mounting, but it wasn’t the same as before. It was a feeling deep inside of her, sharp and powerful. “Please.. _please don’t stop_ please Master…. _ooh._..” as she felt it rise up inside of her she panted and moved her hips up to allow him deeper access.  
“Pleeease… _please_ let me cum…please _Master…_ ”  
  
It was an intensely terrifying feeling, and the pleasure that grew inside of her didn’t feel the same as an orgasm, but it had to be _something_. Deep inside of her, it felt like she was about to implode. She didn’t know how she would hold off whatever it was if he didn’t let her let go soon. Luckily he did not make her wait.  
  
_“Cum.”_ A simple command, in tandem with his fist picking up speed, back and forth with an intensity she thought might tear her apart. She allowed herself to let go, suddenly feeling the sensation climax within her. Instead of a sudden peak and then a let down however, her orgasm hit a plateau and stayed, each thrust of his fist sending huge waves of pleasure through her, not stopping or coming down. Each thrust elicited another gasp from her lips as she screamed his name through it, _“LO-O-O-O-KIII…!”_  
  
Eventually his movements came to an end and all was still once more. She panted and gasped for breath, looking up at him with wide eyes.  
“ _Relax_ now… there you go… _good girl_ …” he coaxed her gently, and she realized with a sudden lurch that her ass was clenched tight around his wrist. She took a few deep breaths and relaxed her body, letting herself sink back into the warm water around her. As her muscles gave way his hand unfolded from its fisted position and slipped out of her, quick as lightning, and she felt unbelievably empty and spent, her ass sore but with a strange feeling lingering, like a glow. As she collapsed into the bath she gazed up at him and panted, catching her breath.  
  
“Th.. _.thank you_ …Master..” she whispered, and he smiled broadly.  
“You are welcome pet. You did so very well. You are _so stretched_ for me….” he gently pulled her up with an arm around her waist until she was sitting, and then unplugged the tub.  
“Did you like that?” His voice was teasing and playful, reminding her of just how small she had felt during all of it. She nodded shyly. “Yes Master…”  
“Good. From now on I want you to make certain your ass is clean and ready at all times. Is that clear?”  
“Yes Master.”  
  
He smiled and patted her head affectionately. “Good. Now…. I have an important task for you today. Are you ready?” She nodded and gazed at him expectantly as he stood up out of the bath, drawing her with him. He wrapped a warm dry towel around her, and for a moment she wondered why he was drying her and not the other way around. She felt a rush of desire to serve him overcome her, and she reached for the towel. He looked surprised for a moment, but then a smile swept across his face and he nodded gently, allowing her to dry him off. She wanted so much to impress him by taking more initiative herself in serving him, and he rewarded her with a gentle kiss upon her forehead that rose a blush to her cheeks.  
  
“Good girl… today I need you to try your hand at a bit of persuasion. You have said before how you wish to reach out to The Avengers… I have brought the Hulk with us here. I would like it if you could perhaps try to persuade him to cooperate. It would be very helpful if I did not have to worry about him being a bother during our stay in this realm.”  
  
She listened and nodded, glad to finally have a chance to aid him in his newest campaign. And he was right… she very much wanted to get the Avengers on his side at long last. If she could start with Doctor Banner…. she smiled.  
“You will find him in the dungeons. Try to win him over.”  
“Yes Master.”


	7. Discipline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amora attempts again to take her frustrations out on Anne, but when Loki steps in, she might get more then she bargained for...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! I have been eagerly awaiting this chapter for a while, and I hope you have too!   
> Warning: This does contain an assault of the non-sexy variety, so it might be slightly triggering? 
> 
> Please let me know what you think!

As she walked down the steps leading deeper into the underbelly of the castle, she hummed happily to herself. It was as though Amora had never ripped her mind open and poured her poison into her heart and soul, the event all but forgotten in light of more... _recent dalliances._   
Loki had, as far as she knew, not yet done anything to the Enchantress, but that did not concern her in the slightest. She trusted him, and knew that whatever he did or did not do, it did not matter. She was his, and she couldn't believe she had ever been made to question her position.

She had not a care in the world as she descended those steps... until she came face to face with the woman herself. As she came to the bottom floor, she felt her breath leave her throat as Amora came into view. The woman looked pensive, staring up at the ceiling as though it contained fascinating secrets, before she turned slowly to regard the mortal who had entered the room. A slow smile crept across her lips, a cruel smirk that Anne did not trust in the slightest. Within a few moments, the woman had crossed the distance of the room to be standing right in front of her, and Anne resolutely held back from her initial instinct of pulling away and retreating. She would not cower before this woman, not again.

"Aahh, the Midgardian pet... did you get enough rest last night? _Sorry_ the transfer between realms affected you so _badly..."_ She teased, her voice laced with a malicious cruelty. She began to circle her, and Anne stiffened, refusing to be baited again. She stood still, eyeing her with suspicion before the woman came to rest behind her. When she let a hand circle her neck however, Anne spun around to face her, this time barely restrained fury dancing in her eyes. She raised her chin in a display of pride.

_"Do not touch me."_ Her voice was cool and even. Amora's eyes narrowed some before she smirked again. "I don't think you could stop me from doing whatever I want." In that instant she snapped her fingers, and a green mist began to encircle Anne. Her eyes widened as her body began to stiffen, and she realised with a sudden creeping fear that she was loosing movement in her limbs. Still, she glared at the Enchantress before her and took a deep breath before addressing her again.

_"I am the property of King Loki."_ She raised her chin another inch, letting the collar around her neck be prominently visible and on display. "And I warn you, _my Lady..._ he isn't fond of _sharing_." Her eyes locked with the other woman's. Amora only laughed a little, seemingly unperturbed by her assertion.   
"What makes you think he hasn't already given me permission to play with you?" And those words came with them the same sort of persuasive magic that they had during their last encounter. Anne felt a tingle of doubt within her, fear that she was speaking the truth, but....  
She swallowed and overcame it in an instant. Loki had done no such thing.

"You are lying." The words left her mouth and the magic that was attempting to overtake her mind vanished in an instant. Amora's eyes widened somewhat, before narrowing as she looked at her helpless little captive, still unable to move. She snarled angrily, and suddenly gripped Anne by the throat, fingers squeezing around her neck and chin. Anne tried to pull away, but her body was unresponsive. "Aren't _you_ a clever one... Well I suppose I will just have to remove your memory of this little encounter so that he doesn't find out, wont I?"  
Anne tried to respond but found her tongue stuck in her throat. She felt dread creep up on her now. Here, unable to move, unable to speak or yell... Amora wouldn't really dare to do anything to her _... would she?_

In a moment that happened in a blink before her eyes Amora was holding a wicked looking knife. The woman spun it and turned it some, inspecting it with a bored expression before her eyes flitted back to Anne's, and she grinned again in anticipation.   
"Or _perhaps..._ I will let you keep the memory. I will weave spells into you so that you cannot speak of this to anyone." The woman leaned forward so that her face was only inches from Anne's. She could feel her breath hot on her cheek and would have cringed away from her if she could move. This felt so _wrong..._ Loki was the only one who should have this sort of power over her...

Amora's knife pressed close to her, drawing down her clothes, cutting the dress away from her just as Loki had done so many times before. Soon the garment was in a heap on the ground, destroyed and useless. Then the woman's knife was playfully teasing her skin, drawing it around her, lightly scraping against her.   
"Now where should I begin...." The woman mused. The knife was pressed against her face, gently caressing her cheek. Anne's body shook, her eyes wide now with undisguised fear. This can't possibly be happening... Loki would never allow it... _Loki..._

"Here? To scar up that pretty face of yours?" Then she trailed the knife down her neck, circled her breasts and resting it against a nipple. "Or perhaps here...." Anne shuddered as the knife moved again, resting this time against her bellybutton before drawing a line downwards.   
"Or maybe... here." Amora's cruel laughter filled the room and Anne could only pray that the woman was bluffing.  
"It's a shame I will have to heal you afterwards so that he doesn't find out... but that just means I can carve you up again... _and again..."_ She spoke softly now, whispering directly into Anne's ear. She was trembling now, desperately fighting against the magic that held her immobile.

"Is that what Loki does? Though not always, judging by the state of your back...." She let a hand run across the bandages that Loki had placed against her skin, and then suddenly dug a finger into one of them. If she could have, she would have screamed then, as pain shot through her. "Do you like that? I'm certain its nothing worse then what _he's_ done to you. Since you _are_ a painslut after all, I'm sure our little liaisons won't be _too_ hard on you..."

Anne struggled against the magic again, terror threatening to overwhelm her. No, she didn't... she didn't like pain. _Not like this,_ anyways. This was _different_ , and it was pure horror. She fought hard to move, and in the end the only thing she could do was part her lips and force a whisper through them. _"..Why..? Why are you doing this?"_  
Amora looked momentarily surprised at the sound, and looked up at her sharply before smiling. A snap of her fingers released Anne's tongue, but nothing else. Anne took in a deep breath as she found her mouth working properly again.

"Why? Well its quite simple, mortal... _I don't like you_." Amora's tone was pleasantly conversational, and she patted Anne's head with a mockery of affection.  
"Loki dotes on you, gives you privilege above your station... his eyes linger on you when they _should_ be on _me. And I will make you suffer for it."_ Here her voice turned harsh and raspy, anger filling the words she spewed. Anne frowned, remembering something of the conversation Amora had shared with Loki on their arrival.

"I thought... I thought you wanted _Thor..."_ she blurted out, confusion in her voice. Amora only smiled and nodded, a hard laugh ringing through the room, devoid of mirth.  
"Oh, yes. I _do_ want Thor. I have no interest in Loki as a lover..." Then she frowned, anger flashing through her eyes. "But _he_ should want _me. All_ men want me. And I will not suffer a lowly mortal to be held in higher esteem in any man's eyes." She was behind her now, placing the knife just across her neck, and Anne struggled again to move away, terror enveloping her. _Amora was insane_. Maybe even insane enough to actually let that knife sink into her flesh, cutting through her vital arteries, letting her bleed out...

As if knowing her thoughts she leaned in to whisper into Anne's ear, her whole body pressed against her in a most lascivious embrace. " _Don't worry..._ I will heal you just before you die. And then we can do it again, _wont that be fun?"_ Her voice was a sensual purr, and it made Anne all the more terrified.   
She gulped and took a deep breath. She had to yell. Had to at least try... Loki probably wasn't within earshot, but... but no... Loki had told her something, a long time ago... that he had placed a spell on her that alerted him whenever she spoke his name aloud. She didn't even need to yell. Her lips parted, about to call for him..

..when before she had even had the chance to do so, she felt the knife leave her skin. It had been just about to cut into her, when she looked over and saw Amora's wrist caught in a very hard grasp. The knife clattered to the ground. Loki was glaring down at her with an intensity Anne had not seen in a very long time. In a sudden whirl of motion, Amora was swung around in his powerful grip and then flung to the floor. As the Asgardian made connection with the hard stone surface, the spell keeping Anne's body immobile suddenly released, and she felt her own knees give way, dropping to the floor as well.

_"Loki.."_ Amora breathed, her eyes wide with an expression of fear. Anne could feel only relief swell through her as she looked at the man who had come to her rescue. Felt tears begin to prick at her eyes.  
 _"Master.."_ she began, but was cut off when his voice, hard and stern, rang out.   
_"Sit_ there, and _watch_ how your Master deals with such insubordination." A hand pointed in her direction, directing his words towards her though he did not look at her.  
When he spoke it was with a restrained rage that was only just being held at bay, and Anne could not remember the last time he sounded like that. But it was not aimed at her.

Amora put on a sweet smile from where she knelt, eyeing up the man before her with an air of playful seduction. " _Loki...."_ Her voice was a purr, but she quickly saw that it did nothing to improve his mood. His eyes narrowed, anger simmering just beneath the surface. The sudden realisation sobered her, her face falling into an expression of worry and compliance. " _My King..."_ she tried again, moving to rise from the floor, but a swift backhand put her back down again. She cried out in surprise, raising a hand to her cheek before she gazed up at him again. Silence filled the room for a moment, the pair of them just staring at each other. Amora with an expression of foreboding. Loki with one of disgust and barely controlled rage.

"Why..." She finally sputtered, her fear giving way to a rage of her own. " _What do you see in that cunt?!"_ She stood in a moment, raising herself to her full height and staring him down. He did not move an inch, even as she advanced upon him until she was standing mere inches from him, defiance and pride written across her face.  
"You give her privilege above her station. You _dote_ on her and _protect_ her. A _lowly_ little mortal _bitch. Why?!"_ She clenched her fists, and from where Anne was sitting and observing, she looked remarkably like a child throwing a tantrum.  
" _I am superior_ to her in _every_ conceivable way! _I am of Asgard_ , and she is _beneath_ me!"

As she spoke her indignance, Loki simply watched her. His green eyes burned with displeasure, before he raised a hand, and her tirade was suddenly halted. It seemed a similar spell to what she had cast upon Anne, holding back her movements. Her breath stuck in her throat, and she raised hands feebly up to her neck, desperately clutching at air. An invisible vice seemed to be choking her, and then with another motion of his hand, she was being raised in the air off her feet. As her eyes went wide in fear and she began to spasm in the magic's gasp, Anne noted, not for the first time, how very different his treatment was towards those he was _truly_ angered by. Only the previous day he had lifted her by her throat in a similar form of restriction, but she had never been in _agony_ the way that the Enchantress before her appeared to be.

He watched impassively as the woman struggled before deigning to speak.  
" _Yes_ , she is. _Quite_ beneath you." he acquiesced, a tone of voice that burned with an underlying fury. "Do not think I do not know your mind Amora. We have known each other for centuries. You are a _jealous little bitch_ , you always have been, and this is not the first time I have had to teach you a lesson in humility. You want to know _why?"_ He began to circle her then, passing Anne to briefly run a comforting hand through her hair. She sighed at the gentle touch, wide eyes watching what was unfolding. She wasn't sure what he was going to do to the Enchantress, but she realised then that it didn't matter. She _trusted_ him.

"Why I prefer her company over yours?" He snapped his fingers, and the woman let out a scream of pain as a bolt of magic pierced her side. "Why I bed her, and not you?" His tone took a darker turn. Another snap of his fingers and she shuddered, no breath left to scream this time. Anne could see the woman struggling with consciousness, her eyes drooping as her hands clawed at nothing. He stepped up to her then, his nose all but touching her own.

"Why I _desire_ her, and not you?" He made a wave of his hand, and just before Amora would have lost consciousness, he released her, letting her fall again to the ground. Anne heard the thump as the limp form made contact with the stone beneath her, and he stood over her as she coughed and sputtered, desperately taking in breath after breath. "I will tell you..."  
He looked over his shoulder at the naked form of his pet, still kneeling obediently, waiting for him as commanded and a smile spread across his lips. It was short lived however as it disappeared when his attention turned back to the seductress before him.

_"She knows her place."_ He crouched down beside the prone form and roughly jerked her head up with a fist in her hair, directing her gaze to the mortal. "I _taught_ it to her, _painstakingly_ , and now she observes it at all times. _You_ on the other hand, although your station is _far_ above hers, are never content with your place. You are _constantly_ attempting to usurp my authority, constantly questioning my orders. You _simper_ and _flirt_ , trying to gain power over me. You cannot _stand_ that your spells of allure and seduction do not work on me. That my power _exceeds_ yours." His hand in her hair tightened until the woman was mewling in pain, struggling against him, fear in her eyes.

_"We are not equals._ You may be my equal by birth, but not by status. _I am your King_. And since you cannot be content with your place as it is, _I will make you fall so much lower."_  
Her eyes flashed in anger then as she raised her hands, swirling with magical energies. There was a flash of light as she hit him with a bolt of it, and he drew in a breath that sounded like a hiss, but he did not release her.   
"Did you think I would be content to serve you forever, Loki?!" She sneered at him, pulling herself to her feet again. Loki followed, rising with her, his hand ever gripping her, not letting go. "I do not have to stay here. I can see my services go unappreciated." Her indignant gaze was narrowed at him, staring him down. He only laughed then, grinning widely, releasing his grip on her.

_"Where_ in the Nine Realms do you think you will go, Amora? Crawling back to the Allfather? Your face is more hated in Asgard then my own. Your Executioner Skurge is still rotting in their dungeons, and you can join him for all I care. In fact...." He smiled a wicked grin, and with a wave of his hand Amora felt ropes slink around her wrists, pulling them behind her back very suddenly, leashing her in place to the ground. She watched with a suspicious apprehension as he placed a hand right on her chest, between her breasts. And then slowly began to withdraw it. "...perhaps I will _strip you_ of your magics, and send you there myself. A peace offering to _dearest Odin."_

As his hand withdrew, Anne saw panic in the Enchantresses eyes. A bright light was following his hand, drawing something... _out_ of her. And Anne could swear that as he did so, the woman's body seemed to... change. Her face was beginning to look more mature, more aged. Her breasts seemed to sag and deflate. The woman screamed as though in excruciating pain, horror written across her face.

_"NOOO!"_ She screeched, writhing against the ropes that were holding her. Her eyes had the look of some kind of feral beast, cornered and desperate. "Loki, _my King_ , don't do this. You can't... you.. _you have no right..._ STOP!" She franticly babbled, but Loki remained unmoved as he pulled more and more streams of magic from her blood. Her face contorted in various emotions, ranging from desperation to rage and hatred to pleading, but still he was unmoved.  
Finally when he had pulled every bit of magic from her he held it grimly before her, a large glowing ball of energies, and she finally broke down, tears flowing freely. " _Give it back_... don't do this..." she seemed to hesitate before finally she uttered a plea. "... _please_ my King..."

His eyes flashed and he raised a brow as he regarded her. " _What was that?"_  
The woman bit her lip, clearly outraged that she should have to repeat herself, but she swallowed down her pride. _"Please._ Please I... _I apologize_.. please give me back my magics... _please_..." Loki moved close to her then, and the ropes pulled her down to the floor suddenly until she was on her knees before him. Looking down on her, he sneered in disgust.   
"You are not _worthy_ to appeal to me. I will defer this matter to my slave, she can handle it. She is an extension of myself, and she can speak with my authority. You can beg _her_ for forgiveness."

Anne felt a pull suddenly, some sort of magic propelling her, and she was all of a sudden on her feet and standing over the kneeling Enchantress, where Loki had been mere seconds ago. He was now behind the woman, some paces away, watching with an air of indifference. Anne blinked a few times at the rush of the rearrangement of reality that must be so natural for magic users but always left her head slightly spinning.

Amora looked horrified and repulsed, struggling then against the ropes to turn to look in the direction of the King who had withdrawn his presence from her. "Please... _Loki..."_ she whined, not deigning to look up at the mortal before her.  
 _"WHAT did I just say?"_ His voice was hard and stern. "You will _beg her for my forgiveness_. Grovel before her as though she were me, _for she is all of me that you will get."_

Anne stood in semi shock at the situation unfolding before her. There were layers to his actions here that she knew were for both of their benefits. Anne was technically the one wronged, so on the surface it seemed he was forcing the issue to be resolved between the two of them, but.. that wasn't _completely_ right, was it? Anne was _his property,_ so by extension, _he_ was the one who was wronged, not her. This was more for Amora then it was for her. Anne knew that he only ever deferred action to her when the person in question he deemed unworthy of his personal notice. Since Anne was his property, Amora was still begging forgiveness of _him_ , but he was illustrating just how lowly he considered her right now that he would not even deign to handle the matter personally, instead handing her off to the judgment of a slave.

Anne swallowed as she watched with bated breath how this would progress. Amora clearly was having difficulty with it, but finally she bent her head over her knees, bowing as low as she could against the ropes still pulling her back. "Please... I beg forgiveness for my actions.. please.."   
But her tone was not nearly apologetic. It sounded as though the words had been choked out of her throat rather then betraying any actual repentance, and in that moment Anne felt a rush of power overwhelm her. This hated woman at her feet was not even close to sorry enough for what she had been about to do. Her lips pursed in a thin line and she shook her head.

"No..." she said softly, testing the word out on her lips. _"No."_ she said again, more forcefully, and she watched as the woman cringed where she knelt, raising her face ever so slightly to just barely catch a glimpse of the mortal before her. _"I will not."_ Anne growled at her. The woman seemed to twitch some before she took a deep breath and tried again, and this time there was a little more panic in her voice. She knew she was at this mortals mercy.

"Please.. _. My Lady Antoinette.._ please forgive me... _please..._ my actions were _wrong_ , I... please. _Please_..." And as she listened to the please whispered through fear and anger, the power rush suddenly released Anne and she felt a little sickened by the sight before her. Her eyes flicked towards Loki, unsure of herself, but he only watched on silently. She gulped and turned her gaze back to the prone Asgardian, and took a deep breath. She didn't like this position. It made her feel strange, and not herself. "...Fine. I don't... I don't care." She heard herself saying, as though out of her own body and looking in. "I.. he can do what he will with you. I forgive you." She felt herself deflate a little, in tandem with the woman before her who also suddenly relaxed.

In an instant Loki was beside them again, pulling the woman up off the ground by her hair.   
_"Thank her."_ he hissed in Amora's ear, and without raising her eyes from the ground the woman quietly parted her lips to whisper _"...Thank you. My Lady."_  
With a disgusted huff he roughly pressed the glowing orb back into her chest, and Anne watched in amazement as the woman gasped a breath as though she had been cut off this entire time. Her body shimmered before it returned to its previous unnaturally augmented form, and the woman seemed more herself again.

"I should _kill_ _you_ for your actions. But fortunately for you, I still have need of your talents. That is the _only_ reason you are still alive." He spoke directly into her ear, pulling her close to him.   
"But if you _ever_ touch her, or _anything else of mine_ ever again, I will not be so merciful. _Do not forget_ what I am capable of." Amora did not respond, eyes staring fixedly at the floor.  
 _"Get out of my sight."_ he growled, and not needing further encouragement, the woman disappeared in a swirl of green smoke.

Once Amora had exited, he turned to Anne, and his expression was very suddenly quite changed. The hard lines of his face softened as he moved towards her, drawing her close to his chest. "There now... _pet..._ are you alright? Are you hurt at all?" he softly cooed to her, and she felt tears come to her eyes after all of that, after the emotional strain of all that transpired. She nodded, clinging to his form desperately. "Yes.. Yes Master.. _I'm fine.."_ she whispered, and he leaned over her to kiss her forehead gently.

"In the time that you have belonged to me, you have learnt your place very well my dear. But now I want you to not only understand your place in relation to _me_ , but also in relation to my _Kingdom_." He pulled away from her slightly to tilt her chin upwards, looking her in the eyes.  
"You are not _just_ a slave or a pet in an _official_ capacity. You are the _highest_ , and _most honored_ of all of those who serve under me. You are my _consort_ and my _right hand_." She nodded, having heard him say these things before, but the reminder now since they were no longer on Midgard where he had placed her above the others came as a breath of fresh air.

"All should know that, and respect you. Just because you will sit at my feet, just because I lead you on a chain, just because I keep you in any manor of states of undress for my pleasure, does not mean that they do not have to respect you. Other mortals, you have status above, and anyone of higher standing then you, such as Amora, need _still_ respect you. If anyone dares show disrespect towards you, you will tell me _immediately._ If its a servant, you need not even wait for my approval to have them disciplined. And if not, be certain that I will deal with it swiftly and effectively."  
Anne nodded, feeling silly that she had allowed someone to make her question her place at his feet, when it had been so clear to her before coming here. Everything had been so confusing ever since that woman had tried to manipulate her, but now everything was righting itself, and she sighed happily as she leaned into him for support. He smiled and affectionate patted her head, feeling the soft texture of her hair beneath his hands.  
  
And she wished that this moment could simply linger for forever.


	8. Political Intrigue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conversations are held, and alliances are attempted to be forged. What will happen when Anne gets caught in the middle of the machinations of powerful sorcerers?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMIGOSH I'm sorry this took so long!  
> I really had a rough time trying to make these conversations flow properly.   
> I hope you enjoy this little turn the plot is taking!

The dungeons of the castle were dark, damp, and cold. It was not a pleasant place to be, and she had never explored them before. Never really had any cause to, and she was not enjoying it now, even though she had only been down here for a scant few minutes.   
After the incident with Amora, she had been rather shaken. Loki had inquired if she needed to go lie down instead of continuing to her previous goal, but she had assured him that she was alright. It had taken her some time to calm down, but she was determined to make good use of the opportunity he had given her.

Not that it would be easy. She knew that the person she was about to talk to... wouldn't be overly receptive. Still, she took a deep breath as she continued down the corridor, past empty cells and rusted bars, mentally preparing herself. And then the cell she was looking for came into view.

It was a wide enough room, perhaps the size of a decent bedroom. It wasn't cruel, as it included a bed and other necessary facilities. But it wasn't kind either; it was sparse in the way of any other sort of furnishings. A chair. A table. It was still cold down here, not what one could call comfortable. But... livable, if barely. She shuddered at the thought of how long the Avengers had been kept in these conditions while she had basked in Loki's favor, but she shook her head to chase away the guilt. She had _earned_ his pleasure. If they hadn't, that was their own fault.  
  
Sitting on the bed was the man she was here to see. Bruce Banner, formerly of the Avengers, and now.... _now_. He seemed as though in a daze, the concoction of drugged spells emanating from the hefty mechanical collar around his neck keeping him docile. But she knew that he was still lucid enough for conversation. When her footsteps fell on the stone, his head raised ever so slightly, meeting her eyes with his own. He looked... defeated. His eyes bore no defiance, only calm acceptance. But that was his own form of defiance, she knew. He had been this entire time resistant to all attempts at control. He didn't fight back... he just sat there, and in that misery he paid the price for his resistance. She felt bad for him. She wanted to _help_ him.  
 _"Doctor..."_ she said softly as she approached the bars. He did not move further. She sat herself down on a chair, her eyes moving to the guard who kept watch. The guard didn't stir... she was well known amongst Loki's staff, and they knew her standing with their King. She was not questioned.   
"Umm..." she coughed to clear her throat, unclear on how to begin. "How are you?"

There was a mirthless chuckle from the timid looking man, slouched as he was on the bed.   
"I would say that I have been better." He answered as he lifted his head to eye her up and down. She knew it was a damn good thing Loki's magic was keeping the beast inside of him dormant, otherwise it was entirely possible she might be in very real danger.

"Loki wanted me to talk to you..." she began, but he stopped her with a raised hand and a shake of his head. " _Loki_ wanted you to talk to me. Great. Well as long as _Loki wanted you to talk to me_. I suppose I should be thanking him for letting me have a visitor? How _benevolent_ of him."  
She took a deep breath and shrugged at the evident sarcasm. "You know it isn't like that... he isn't the monster that you think he is." The man only rolled his eyes at her words.

"I suppose you would say that. Tell me, how much did he pay you to get you to betray us? Was it money? Power? Id be angry about it, but, you know... _I cant."_ His eyes bored into hers and she could feel the simmering rage that was only held at bay by a drugged stupor. The man's voice was soft and his eyes lost their focus, resting again on the ground.  
"It isn't like that" She asserted. " _He has united the planet!_ If you could only see what he's done, you would understand. There's peace now, no more wars... and he's going to unite _all_ of the Nine Realms. You _should_ be thanking him!"

Bruce's eyes narrowed at her, but there was no trace of green flickering in them. No trace of the creature lurking within. Still, he made her wary. His fidgety movements were slowed by the drugs in his system, but not stopped altogether. "Well I wouldn't know anything about that, would I? I haven't seen the light of day in who knows how long. I cant even tell how much time has passed thanks to this delightful drug-spell cocktail your lovely _Master_ has got me on."

She stiffened and drew herself up to her full height, standing from the chair and willing herself to be patient. "I came to ask you to _cooperate._ I know its hard but... Loki is going to help us. He can help _you."_  
She heard a scoff as the man shifted positions, leaning back on his palms.  
"Well I'm glad this visit is _all business_ , then. Loki just wants to use the other guy as a weapon, and I wont let him. Not without as much resistance as I can throw at him, anyways."

He was watching her carefully as she sighed and leaned against the bars that separated them. She felt for him... she really did. Once upon a time, she had felt the same way he did. It just hadn't taken her quite so long to come around.   
"How is that any different than SHIELD? You were a weapon for the Avengers, were you not?"  
He looked up suddenly at her at that statement, sitting up straight again.  
"Are you really going to compare using the other guy in an effort to save the world with using him in an effort to destroy it?"

She clenched her teeth in frustration, closed her eyes, and counted to ten. She had to get through to him. Loki had warned her that he was stubborn, but...  
"Loki did _not_ destroy the world. He _saved_ it. Our planet was in turmoil and chaos, and he united it under one banner. Under one common ruler, Earth has a chance to grow in ways it never could have before. You don't understand.... we humans weren't _meant_ to rule. We were made to _be ruled_. When you give up control... you find _real freedom_. I've experienced it first hand... Loki's power and control... it can help you. Help you reach your full potential."

The Doctor just sighed and shook his head at her rhetoric. Running a hand through his messy unkempt hair, he looked at her with an expression that mixed sympathy with incredulity.  
"I heard you betrayed us because he seduced you. Turned you into some kind of sex slave. Is that true? " She stiffened at his words. The demeaning tone usually did not bother, not from others who did not understand her connection to Loki. It didn't matter if they thought less of her for her position. But for some reason, from Bruce it made her cringe. Maybe it was the way he said it: Softly, without anger, but with... _pity_.

"So what if it is? I have embraced my true nature. And I am better for it. _Earth_ is better for it. And _you_ could be better for it too if you weren't so _stubborn_." The words spilled from her lips, anger tinging her tone. She clenched her fists in frustration. She should have known this wouldn't work, wouldn't go over well. She felt tears well up in her eyes at the thought of telling Loki she had failed, she couldn't do it, couldn't convince him.   
He stood up in a sudden motion then, his form lurching off of the bed erratically. She jerked backwards in alarm, but she needn't have worried. He stood there for a moment before moving slowly closer to the bars, struggling to focus his eyes on her own.   
"You _really do_ believe all that, don't you? I'm sorry... I don't know what he's done to you, but I'm not buying it. He's kept me in here, drugged up and alone for god knows how long... this is helping me? Some benevolent ruler. I'm sorry, but Ill _never_ cooperate with him. I'm afraid your wasting your time."

She sighed again as she watched him. "You know... he told me that you were too stubborn to reason with. He warned me that you would never listen. I insisted that you and the rest of the Avengers were trustworthy. Good people who could be brought around."  
Bruce only laughed at that, a sound that was absent of any sort of joy or amusement.   
"Well... maybe you should have listened to him. I'm sorry to disappoint."

"No... I'm sorry." She said softly, regarding him with a mixture of pity and frustration. She knew she wouldn't get any farther with this conversation... not today. But _maybe_... maybe if she returned again when he had had a chance to think about her words a little... maybe. Perhaps she could break him down little by little... yes. She would ask Loki if she could keep trying. Eventually he would see reason. She was sure of it.  
"A word of advice..." she began as she turned to leave. She watched his eyes raise to meet hers, tousled hair falling in his face. "If you don't want to be stuck rotting in the dungeons any more.... well, the only thing keeping you here is _you_. All you have to do is ask him."

That was a concept she herself had had trouble with at first. It was so simple in words, but in practise it meant exercising a sizable amount of _humility_. You had to let go of your _pride_ before you could beg a favor of someone who controlled you. She knew that firsthand. And she knew that it would be difficult... but as long as the thought was in his mind, maybe he could come around.   
_Maybe._

 

 

* * *

 

 

  
Meanwhile, a portal winked into existence.  
The metal clad man seated in Loki's Midgardian throne room was undisturbed at the moment, currently lost in thought. It had been a long day, and he had much on his mind. He was not expecting visitors, so when a svelte blond woman walked through the door into the long room, he started in some surprise.  
Her hips sashayed as she walked, giving her a decidedly alluring presence. That only made him all the more weary at this unannounced visit. He rose from the chair with as regal an air as he could muster, looked down upon his guest.

"How did you get past the guards? I do not recall authorizing an audience." His voice was deep and booming as he spoke, but she seemed entirely unperturbed.  
"Hmm.. _Victor von Doom_ , I presume? Can I call you Victor? Or..." she smiled as she continued her approach, unabashedly climbing the steps until she was directly before him.   
"...do you prefer _Doctor Doom?"_ Her voice was a low purr of seduction. He had heard such tones before, and they did not impress him. Her ability to take him by surprise however... _that_ was impressive.

"You seem to know who I am, but I do not believe I have had the pleasure...?" He nodded to her before he seated himself again, gesturing for her to continue. He was nothing if not intrigued by this woman... even if a small amount of irritation was present in his mind. She only chuckled, a gleeful sound that careened about the room from wall to wall.  
"Oh, you don't need my name... you would not recognise it anyway. You may, however, refer to me as _Enchantress_."

His eyes narrowed at her beneath his mask. She was not winning any trust by her non compliant manors. "And what business did you have with the Steward of Earth... _Enchantress_?" His tone was beginning to betray irritation, and she could tell he was done with pleasantries. She only laughed again, a sly smirk across her features.

"Aaah... _about that_..." She moved towards him, coming right up to the throne and letting a finger trail along the arm of the seat. Her eyes sized him up and down, very much like a predator deciding on the best timing to devour its prey. He was not unaware of her mannerisms, and was not amused.  
"I have a _proposition_ for you, as I believe that you and I may share a common foe." As she leaned over towards him, she let her hand trail across his chest. He did not react, but watched her curiously as she spun her airs about him, attempting to ensnare him in a web of lust.

"You are currently Steward of Earth... but, I think that is not a grand enough position for you, nor one you will be content with for long... no?" Her eyes narrowed as she licked her lips, moving closer to him. Her breath was now heavy upon the metal plate of his mask, fogging the surface beneath. He turned to fully look her over, resting his head against a hand propped up on the arm of the chair at the elbow. Nonchalantly he paused before responding.  
"If you are suggesting that I would betray our King...." his voice held warning within in. But the woman did not blanche at the sound of it, instead she tilted her head back and laughed. This time an honest sound, real amusement pealing from her lovely lips, her eyes crinkling in delight.

"Oooh, please, _come now_ Doom...." She spun around, moving away from the throne to dance in his line of sight. " _Don't_ take me for a fool... I know your intentions." She made a gesture towards the entrance to the room, the way she had come. "I know you have armies at the ready, and guards stationed where the portals to Alfheim are. Or, rather..." she frowned in mock sympathy, "where they _were_.... a simple misconception to make for a mortal only just barely learning the arcane arts, but _nonetheless..."_

He bristled some at that comment. He had prided himself, one of Earths foremost magicians, on his knowledge of the arcane. _Just who did this bitch think she was, anyway?_  
"You are preparing for his return, so you that you can stamp him out. _And it wont work...."_ She moved closer again to him, leaning in to whisper enticingly into his ear.  
"When he returns, it will be with _twice_ the forces he left with. And his own power will have grown _exponentially_ after he has learned every scrap of arcane knowledge the elves possess. He will _easily_ defeat your forces, and then when he comes to you personally, he will get... _creative_." She let the word linger in the air between them for a moment, noting with some satisfaction the distinct stiffening and uncertainty in the mans body language.

He eyed her with some unease, leaning back in his chair to try to shrug off his discomfort. To put up a show of power and appear in control. It was a charade that they both knew for what it was, but nonetheless, he played it.   
"You have my attention..." he mused, eyes glued to her form. Her easy movements and seductive grace were not lost on him, but he was more entranced by her words. Her grin widened at his acquiescence, and she nodded, eager to move on to the proposal.

"You have not considered his weaknesses. He has two rather _glaring_ ones, you know..." her voice was a satisfied purr, enjoying how she had the man before her eating out of her hand. His eyes never left her. She had his full attention, and she basked in it.  
"Go on..." he insisted, waving a hand with impatience. How she loved to draw out the dance... it only made the kill that much more satisfying.

"Firstly, I am sure you are aware that he has left the Avengers alive, yes?" She eyed him as she sauntered about the room, seemingly bored and fidgety. "I wonder what would happen if they found themselves suddenly... _freed?_ Of course, he does have Thor and the Hulk with him in Alfheim.... but I'm sure between the Captain, the Man of Iron, the assassins, and the remnants of that now destroyed organization SHIELD, they could be more then an... _annoyance_ to him, yes?"

She watched the gears turning in the mans mind. He had clearly not considered using the Avengers as a weapon against Loki... they were enemies of his as well, of course. But nothing was quite so satisfying as letting your enemies destroy each other.  
"And the second one?" He demanded, his eyes flashing as he sharply looked up at her, jerking himself out of his thoughts. Her smile here turned positively malicious, as though she had been waiting for this moment.

_"Oh_ , I should have thought that obvious. It's the _girl."_ She grinned and laughed, bringing a hand up to rest on her cheek as she gazed at the man in metal.  
"The slave girl?" he enquired, his tone turning somewhat more invested in the conversation. Intrigued at the thought. She nodded with an air of self satisfaction.  
 _"Oh yes._ She is much more than simply a slave girl to him... It was _she_ that convinced him to leave the Avengers alive after all. And I can assure you, put her in harms way and he will come _running_ to her rescue. And therein lies his weakness, _there_ is how you will bring him down. Lure him out... before he is _ready_."

The man smiled, though she could not see it. He _liked_ that idea. He had never liked the little bitch... never liked how a simple little _sex slave_ had been made an authority above him under Loki. He had grown to despise the sight of her... and it she could be the tool for Loki's undoing.... so much the better. Then he frowned as his attention turned once again to the seductive minx before him. "Why are you telling me all of this?" His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he watched her.

The woman quirked an eyebrow in his direction as though it were obvious.  
"Why... because I have similar ambitions to yours, of course." Her hips swayed as she suddenly moved to straddle him, crooking her knees on either side of his hips. She was not disappointed at his immediate reaction as she leaned over him.  
"Loki is giving me what I want for now... But I am not naïve enough to suppose that his eye will not eventually turn to Asgard, and he will betray me. In this, our goals can align. I do not give a _shit_ about Midgard... get Loki out of the picture for me, and you can have it. All of it, without question. Leaving _me_ free to rule Asgard. Do we have an accord?"

Her hand rested tantalizingly upon his chest, the other moving carefully lower. It was all for show of course.. he had not allowed anyone to actually touch him intimately in years, heavy metal encasing his body at all times. But.. the show was more than engaging in and of itself.   
He leaned forward towards her so that his masked face was mere inches from her own before speaking again, bringing gloved hands up and around her waist.

"Very well. How will you bring me the girl?"


	9. The Worth of a Slave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki teaches Anne an important lesson about her value. Meanwhile Bruce has been having second thoughts...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it seems like Loki is flipflopping in what hes teaching her ("Your position is higher then just a slave" one chapter, "All you need to be is a slave" next chapter) its because Im really trying to demonstrate the extreme duality of Annes relationship to him, and I hope that that is coming out alright omg. ALSO: hope you are enjoying the developments with Bruce because I sure am :D

She sat on the floor by the foot of the bed, a book detailing elven customs and culture sitting in her lap. Not that she wasn't allowed to make use of the furniture while he was away, but she felt more comfortable on the floor of late. Not only because it made getting into position when he returned faster, but because it grounded her in her _place_. Reminded her who she was waiting for.

Loki was away for the day, more then likely putting into motion various aspects of his plans for Alfheim. She knew better than to be petulant about the lack of attention, even though she might have very much liked to beg for his time. She wanted him to succeed however, and she knew that whatever he was up to concerning those plans at the moment was more important than some playtime.

When she heard his footsteps outside the door her heart began to race with a familiar thrill of anticipation. Setting the book aside she quickly rearranged herself into the kneeling position that she knew was expected of her. She would never get tired of the feeling that overcame her when she could hear him but not see him. Know that he was near, but not yet allowed to raise her eyes to look at him. Her gaze fixed on the floor as she heard the door open slowly, the skin of her naked flesh raised in anticipation.

His footsteps across the floor were slow and calculated. They always were, and yet they never failed to turn her into a pool of yearning. Then his hand was on her head and she leaned into his touch, basking in his affection. When his finger crooked under her chin to raise her eyes to his she was met with a soft smile that made her heart soar. Without a word he gestured to her with his hand and a golden chain appeared once more at her collar, and he was pulling her along with him. Happily she obeyed, crawling after him to where he sat at a desk.

He seemed relaxed, and she could only guess that meant that things were falling into place the way he wanted them to. And that made her feel more relaxed and at ease as well. She sighed happily as she came to rest on her knees, leaning herself against his leg. His arm was draped lightly across her shoulders, and she hummed happily at the feeling. When he spoke his voice was warm and inviting. Yes, he was in a good mood today.

"How was your day, pet?" he enquired, his hand leaving her as he busied himself sorting some papers on the desk. She wasn't certain what he was doing, but it didn't really mater.  
"I had a good day... thank you for leaving me some books, I learned a lot about Alfhiem and its customs, Master."  
He smiled and nodded, glancing down at her with a fondness that made her melt.  
"Will you be this studious in all of the realms I take you to?" His voice has a slight chuckle to it.

"Yes of course Master... will you take me to all of the realms?" Her idea of reality had been greatly expanded by coming to Alfheim. Even though she had known that other realms existed before this, knowing and experiencing were two different things. He looked contemplative for a moment before patting her head gently. "Not all of them, I think." Then he turned to smile fully at her, that smile that was always so becoming on his beautiful face.  
"Just the nice ones" he said with a wink.

A few moments passed in silence then, Anne simple basking in his nearness, before she remembered something she had wanted to ask him. Something that had been nagging at her mind since earlier in the day.  
"Um... Master?" She inquired, shyly looking up at him. It was never difficult to get his attention nowadays, not like when he was first training her and she had had to wait on him. The benefits of being in his favor.  
"Yes, pet, what is it?" He nodded to her, granting her the time to speak.  
"I was just wondering... ah... I noticed there are some signals in the air since this morning... Earth technology? News casts, computers... just a little but... I thought I should mention it in case it.. its cause for concern?" Alfheim did not have technology, at least not in the manor of Earth, and she had not seen any computer signals since coming here.. until this morning. It had been rather jarring.

He only laughed some as he ran his fingers along her neck.  
"It is nothing to trouble yourself over, but thank you for bringing it to my attention." He took a breath and shifted some in his seat before he turned more towards her, leaning over her to kiss the top of her head. It always made her feel small when he did that, like a child, but also protected and loved.  
"By the way..." he mused as he straightened back up again, though he did not turn back towards the desk. Instead gazing down at her. "Thank you for speaking with the Doctor. You were most helpful."

She frowned then, a small pout upon her lips as her eyes slid away from him, fixing themselves on the floor. "I... but I wasn't able to convince him... I failed Master..." she whispered. She felt his finger crooked underneath her chin, directing her eyes back up at him.  
"I know my dear... you did not expect to fully convince him on your first attempt, did you?" His eyes crinkled with amusement and his voice was relaxed. "But you gave him something to think about, and that is the best that could have been hoped for. You were lovely."

She swallowed some, feeling her heart begin to flutter at his praise. She felt a swell of desire, desire to be worthy of all of the affection he lavished upon her. Wanting to be better. Her voice caught some as emotion flowed through her as she tried to speak.  
"Thank you Master.. I... I want.. I want to be useful to you Master... like I was on Earth..."  
She felt her lips tremble as she spoke. She had been such an integral part of his plan during the takeover of Earth and in his efforts against the Avengers, but now... her abilities were not of much use in Alfheim, and neither did she have the connections she once did.  
A slow smile spread across his lips as he watched her, a hand coming around to rest at the back of her head. Gently he drew her closer to him, until her face was resting comfortably against his inner thigh. It was a position that always made her feel perfectly submitted to him, made his power feel all the more complete.  
"Oh pet... you are, in so many more ways then you know." His voice was reassuring as he stroked her hair, and she shifted her knees so that she was leaning against him completely.  
"But pet... what if you _weren't?"_ She frowned and looked up at him with some confusion, but his hand kept her firmly from moving. "What if all I ever required of you from now on is to simply be a _pet_. Sitting at my feet... awaiting my pleasure. _Nothing_ but a perfect little love slave."

His hand on her neck was firm now, and his other was pulling the chain at her collar taught. She felt a swell of excitement rush through her as he became rougher with her, but she forced herself to pay attention to his words. She knew that when he spoke like this to her, he expected to her listen.

"I want you to understand, pet, that your worth and value to me does not come from how useful you can be." His fingers began to lace themselves through her hair and she shuddered in anticipation as he pulled her head back until her neck was bent uncomfortably.  
"You are of value not because I _need_ you... but because I _want_ you." His voice was stern now, but not unkind as he leaned over her, his breath coming hot against her face.  
"Because I cannot _look at you_ without becoming stiff with desire. Because it pleases me to know that no matter what I command, _you will obey_ without hesitation. Because I _love_ to see you, everyday, wearing whatever I dictate." His lips ran along her neck now, and she felt her whole body alight with need at his touch.

"I know you long to be of use, but long for it to please me, _not to find self worth_. Your place in my kingdom is secure and your value to me will be the same. All I require of you is to obey me."  
He pulled away from her then, releasing her hair to gently caress her cheek. As he leaned back in his chair his eyes took in her naked form with a hungry, lustful glow.  
" _Now now my dear_..." he pulled her with a sharp yank on the chain and she was suddenly nestled in his crotch. She could feel the bulge under the leathers pressing against her face.  
"You've gone and got me all riled up... _do you feel that?_ That is how highly I _already_ esteem you."

A moan passed her lips then as desire overcame her. She nuzzled her face against the leather, desperate to feel his hardness. She loved it, loved knowing that she did this to him, that he was hard for her, only for her. Nothing was sweeter then worshiping his cock, worshiping it for the pleasure it could bestow upon her, for the control it had over her, and for the way it signaled his desire for her. Her mind filled with visions of it in her mouth, and how she longed to wrap her lips around it. But she hadn't been given permission yet, and so she simply loved it through the leather, just like he liked. Her tongue darted out to lick at him, hoping to signal to him her burning need for it.

He smiled and pulled her off of his erection by the hair, and then directed her to straddle him by tugging at the leash. She loved the leash, loved how connected to him it made her feel, how owned she was. Loved also that it made it easy for him to command her without having to use his voice. He had trained her to be so in tune with his desires that she no longer needed verbal commands. As she came to rest against him, her legs straddling his hips, she felt the bulge against her, and couldn't held grinding her clit against it for a moment, desperate for contact.  
He laughed a sinister laugh and playfully swatted her ass, pulling her flush against him.

" _Now now..._ don't be naughty. Good girls get the rewards they crave, while bad girls get to wait." At that he waved a hand and his clothes disappeared, leaving him naked beneath her. She bit her lip to hold back a gasp of desire as she felt his skin, her body aching for more of him.  
"Turn around in my lap, there's a good girl." As she did as she was told she felt his fingers slide across her opening, and she moaned aloud, desperately holding herself back from bucking against his fingers. "So wet for me already... _my good little slut..."_

Then she gasped as she felt his cock slam into her quite suddenly. Her hands gripped at the arms of the chair to give herself some balance, though she knew that he would hold her up regardless. One hand was on her hip and the other snaked around her neck, wet fingers pressed against her lips, which parted eagerly for him.  
" _Look at you.._ cleaning my fingers for me _just like you've been taught_... such a _perfect_ little slut I've trained." As she sucked his fingers he thrusted into her hard, and she moaned again at the feel of it, his other hand moving around to rub her clit. It made her hips begin to move on their own, desperately grinding down on his cock of their own accord.

When he felt she had sucked his fingers clean enough his hand moved to grasp her jaw, forcing her to look out into the room. His breath was hot on her neck as he whispered into her ear.  
"Can you imagine it? Being fucked like this in front of a crowd of people? You know I do love showing you off, pet." His cock was thrusting deeper into her now and she couldn't help screaming aloud with each movement. " _Do you know why?"_ he continued, his fingers moving circles around her clit, the piercing making everything so much more.  
"I am infinitely _proud of you_. Of all you are, and _all I have made you into_. Proud to show you off, that everyone should be envious of me. _Be proud_ , my pet..."

She gasped and moaned as his cock slammed into her, took a second to stay deep inside of her. She shuddered as she felt it grind in circles as all she could do was sit there, impaled on it. His fingers were torturous on her clit and she whimpered her need for more.  
"Please... oh please, can I cum Master?" She begged, and he rewarded her by renewing his pace as he proceeded to pound her tight pussy.  
"Yes pet.. cum for me." As he spoke she let go, her back arching against him as she slammed her hips to meet his thrusts. She threw her head back so it was resting against his shoulder as she screamed, "L..LOOKI!"

He continued thrusting, her moans louder now and more flustered as she felt her pussy ache with an oversensitivity. But he did not let up, instead bringing his arm around her neck to hold her in place against him. "If only you could see how _lovely_ you are when you cum like that... its quite a show my dear. If we were in Asgard now, everyone would be _so hard_ to watch you cum on my cock like that."  
She whimpered and squirmed as she felt him continue to fill her up, everything in her so tight and clenched around his length. He had let up on her clit, instead gripping her hip tightly with his hand. She wondering if he would leave bruises. She hoped he would leave bruises.

"Perhaps some of the bolder guards would beg me for a chance with you, with your pretty little mouth..." he mused, whispering in her ear, and she felt her blood go cold for a moment. _No... no no no.._ she gulped and looked at him with frantic fear in her eyes. "Ma..Master..." She began, but he cut her off with a gentle finger upon her lips.  
" _Sshhh..._ don't fret darling. I would never allow anyone else to touch you, ever. You are _mine,_ and mine alone, and I do not share my things." At his words she felt herself relax again, feeling safer at his reassurances. His hand went back to her clit once again and she screamed at the feeling, every nerve in her body on fire.

"Of course, I would so dearly love to see your mouth filled with cock as I take you..." he whispered, and she threw her head back and howled as she felt his fingers pinch her clit suddenly. "Luckily, I do not need others in order to see such a sight..." and at those words she felt two more hands on her, each on either side of her face. Her eyes opened wide as she saw another Loki, just as naked, and just as hard, standing next to them. It had been some time since he had used clones to fuck her.  
She felt herself being drawn away from where she was leaning against his chest, firm hands guiding her to his clones cock. His hand held her hips to steady her and then she was being held between the both of them, her face only inches away from his hard length. She whined and darted her tongue out, desperate to feel him on her lips. The clone chuckled darkly as he watched her.

" _Desperate little thing_... what do you want, pet?" His voice filled her senses and she gasped as she felt another thrust inside of her. "I.. please.. _I want to suck your cock,_ please!"  
All at once she was drawn forward and felt his cock pass her lips. She moaned around it in blissful contentedness, her tongue moving to taste it.  
Then he was thrusting into her from both sides, and she felt amazingly at peace. Filled with him, filled with his scent and his taste and his length. She bucked her hips back to meet his punishing pace at the same time as she moved her lips to suck. She could feel another orgasm mounting, and almost lost herself when he began torturing her clit again.

"Come on... _cum for me again_." He commanded, "I love to watch your body convulse under my ministrations." As he spoke she lost it, responding to the command as much as to the physical sensations. She did convulse, her whole body shaking and taught as she screamed around his cock. His name came out in a choked gurgle as she rode out her orgasm, but he did not stop pounding her as she came down again, and now she was squirming in delicious agony. As her pussy clenched around him he only fucked her all the harder. His clones hands in her hair were clenched tight, pulling at her painfully.

" _Good girl..."_ he smiled, and she felt a hard slap across her ass, then the other side again. She would have screamed, but all sensation was blending into one experience now.  
"You are so beautiful when you obey. How could I not want to put you on display so that all can see how perfect you are?" As he kept up his pace she could feel, incredibly, another mounting climax, and she desperately tried to beg to cum, but it was muffled by his cock down her throat. It was so deep it would normally have made her gag, but her whole body was so overwhelmed now that he slid easily in and out of her mouth.

"What was that, pet? Were you trying to ask to cum again? What a greedy little slut. Very well. Go ahead." Suddenly he was spanking her ass, blows coming in tandem with his cock thrusting in and out of her wet pussy, and she screamed again, his name once again muffled by the cock that was buried down her throat. Her clit was aching now, every nerve in her body tingling as she rode out a third orgasm.

"Perfect... I will have you like this _always,_ do you understand? You belong _here_ , impaled on my cock, screaming my name in ecstasy. _You are perfect like this_."  
The clones cock was dragged out of her mouth, and she whined at the loss of it before it began slapping her in the face. It was hard, and it stung, a wet mixture of saliva and precum covering her, and she moaned in approval. Her cheek leaned into the blows, eagerly accepting each of them. She was rewarded to hear him moan in appreciation as he watched. It wasn't often that he vocalised his lust like that, and she reveled in the sound.  
Then she felt herself being moved, leaning back against his chest once more, the clone holding her carefully as he manipulated her. She felt limp, like a ragdoll, and simply submitted to whatever he wanted to do to her.

Then her eyes flew open as she felt his tongue on her throbbing clit, even as he continued to fuck her. It swirled around it and flicked at the ring, and she squirmed in a painful sort of pleasure, knowing that another orgasm was going to come, and quickly, if he kept that up.  
"Plleeeaassee... Master please can I cummm..." she moaned out, desperately writhing against him.

 _"Again?"_ he replied smugly, as though he didn't know what he was doing to her.  
"Very well... _cum for me again_ , cum as much as you need, my perfect slut."  
She felt herself slam down hard on his length as she came again, wailing and thrashing. It was painful by now, and she felt like she was floating, almost detached from herself as she writhed in sweet, sweet _agony._ And then, just as she was coming back down again, her body spiked once more, throwing her back into the endless loop of pleasure. "LOOOKIII!?" She felt scared, confused, as it seemed to never end and another orgasm tore through her. _"LOKI!!"_

Then the clone disappeared, and he stood in one swift motion, flipping her over so that she was pressed against the chair, clutching at it for all that she was worth. He pounded his cock into her, harder and faster now and she screamed over and over again, until finally he hilted into her, _deep_ , and she could feel his seed shooting inside of her. It was hot, and as he pulled out she could feel the sticky substance spill out of her. She panted, and felt his breath against her neck as he bent over her, bringing his arms around her shoulders to hold her close to him once more.

" _And one day..."_ he whispered in her ear softly, "when _all_ of the Nine Realms have fallen to my rule, and my kingdom is well established... _I will put an heir in you."_  
Her eyes widened at his words as he pulled away from her again, gently lowering her to the floor to sit again on her knees, her world in a daze.

"Would you like that, pet? To bear my child?" His voice was soft now, full of warmth as he knelt next to her, pulling her close, resting her head on his chest. She felt choked by emotion at the very idea. She had never considered having a child before... had not ever in her life thought herself ready for something like that. And yet... although the notion did scare her now, it sounded.. appealing. A warmth ran through her the more she contemplated it.

 _"Ma..Master..."_ she started, "I..." She felt tears prick at her eyes, but blinked them away, willing herself not to loose her composure. "I love you..." she whispered, reaching out to him with some amount of timidity. He wrapped her up in his grasp and she melted into him. It was amazing, she realised, this balance their relationship hung on. The seemingly dichotomous nature of her position. She was a sex slave, but she was _also_ much more than that. But she didn't _need_ to be more than that to be of value in his eyes. No matter _what_ she was, he-

 _"I love you_ as well, pet." His words breathed life into her. They did not say them often, but she was understanding more and more of late how true they were.  
"Your position is one of _high_ honor. I do not so highly regard many mortals, and you are the most beloved and cherished of _all_ of mine.

_Do not forget that."_

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Earlier that day, Bruce had stirred from where he slept at the sound of footsteps. With a sigh he sat up slowly, the bed creaking underneath his weight. The footsteps clipped across the stone floor with purposeful strides. They were distinctive steps... none of the guards footfalls sounded quite the same. Odd how in the haze of mind the smallest things stood out to him. He knew who was paying him a visit.

Loki did not come to see him often. Only when he was about to take him out of his little cage to brandish him as a threat to whatever country he was bent on subjugating. The Hulk was a good deterrent to many, though not everyone had cowered under the mere threat. There had been times that the beast within had been forcibly unleashed, and forcibly wrangled back into the human body it had arisen from when Loki was done with him. Still, Banner made sure to put up a fight each and every time Loki took him out to play. The Hulk always dealt almost as much damage to Loki's own armies as to the enemies, making the use of him dangerous at best.

As the familiar sight of the man came into view on the other side of the bars, Bruce raised his head to look at the visitor. Loki looked down on him with the usual amount of disinterest and disgust. It would have made him angry, or at least annoyed, but thanks to the drugs running through him he could bring himself to feel nothing. He quirked a lethargic smile, a pretense of civility. "Well if it isn't the big man himself. Come to take me out? Or is this a social call?"

Loki looked him over some, paused before speaking. He casually leaned an arm on the bars as he looked down on his captive, this all but broken mortal before him.  
"I heard that my pet payed you a visit a few days ago." His words fell on Bruce's ears like silk. In the haze of the drugs, he always sounded rather compelling. He suspected that was part of the package.

" _Pet?_ I thought she was your _slave_." The retort made the god smirk some, amusement crinkling at his eyes. He shook his head slightly, waved a hand at the comment.  
"The designation does not matter. She is both of those things, and much more besides. A better question, Doctor, is this: What do _you_ want to be?"

Bruce sighed. He could have guessed that Loki would make another attempt at soliciting his cooperation after Anne's visit. He drew in a breath as though contemplating a response before looking his captor in the eye. " _Released?"_  
That drew a laugh from the god, a mirthless chuckle that echoed off of the stone walls. It sounded positively menacing, sending shivers down his spine.  
"I _did_ warn her that you were too stubborn to be reasoned with. For all the good it has done you. Things would be much easier on you if you were to follow her example."

"I'm sure." Came the terse response. There was a silence that lingered between the two men for a few minutes. Finally with a sneer of disgust, Loki removed himself from the bars. "I can see that nothing has changed, then. You can rot in here until I have need of you." With a turn on his heel he made as if to leave, but paused when Bruce spoke again. Quirking a brow over his shoulder, he regarded the man who fidgeted, eyes cast on the floor.

"Wait.. She said something. Said that Earth was better off since you took over. Said there were no more wars... that.. that things were _better._ I haven't exactly been able to keep up on current events since... _well.._ is it true?"  
When his eyes rose again to meet his captors, they were filled with more emotion than Loki had seen in them since he had spelled him into submission. He stalked back towards him once more, raising himself to his full height above the man, a pitying smirk playing on his lips.

"I could tell you want you want to hear, Doctor... but if you did not believe _her,_ I highly doubt that you will believe _me_."  
The sound of an exhaled breath as the man looked up at the one who controlled his life. Anne's words were heavy on his mind. It was not, however, an easy thing to do, to ask a favor. Defeated, Bruce seemed to deflate a little as he spoke again.  
"Please... I.. I'm not asking to be let out of here or anything, just... Id like to know what's been going on in the world. On Earth. Just... some news... _please?"_

Loki's smile was smug and gloating as he neared the bars again. He seemed to tower over him now, as though his stature actually increased the more power someone gave him. Trick of the light, of course, but it was an impressive one.  
"And what are you willing to offer in _exchange_ for such a favor, hmm?"  
Bruce frowned, his eyes flitting off to the side as he mulled the question over in his mind.  
"I..."

Loki stopped him with a huff of impatience.  
"If I grant your request, the next time I take you out of this cell, _I expect your cooperation_. I know that you have more control over the beast then you have been exercising. Cease fighting me, for this next time at least. Behave yourself as commanded, and I will provide you with news of how Midgard has been faring since your capture. _Are we agreed?"_

Bruce looked very small and defeated as he seemed to think the agreement over.  
Finally he raised his eyes once more, tired and broken. The fight gone out of him.  
"...fine. _Just this next time."_


	10. Slave-napped!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doctor Doom is serious about taking over from Loki, and is willing to use whatever leverage he can. Anne happens to be the best piece of leverage available to him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THE PLOT MOOOVES!  
> Sorry this chapter ended up a little short, but, I feel like it accomplishes its purpose. *Slight* warning here for threatened sexual assault. Don't worry, I don't go too deep into it!

The sun was warm against her back as she maneuvered the horse through the courtyard. Loki had been teaching her horsemanship, and although she hadn't exactly mastered it in the past few days, she now felt confident enough that she could ride without him around to guide her. He was away.. again. His plans had been coming together well from what she could tell. There were always heralds arriving at the castle lately, news from the High Council of Alfheim. Apparently some of the more affluent council members had gone missing... and she knew it was no coincidence that more of the dungeon cells were now filled.

Amora had been around, but had barely spoken to her since the _incident_. The woman was clipped civility now, all attempts at flirtation had dropped. She responded to Loki's direction with an uninterested detachment and a cool professionalism, no longer any friendly pretenses. Anne preferred her like this... it felt more real, and if she was honest if felt less threatening. For the most part she endeavored to ignore the woman as best as she could, glad to never have to be alone in her presence again. She knew Loki was keeping a close eye on her.

Today however was a day for exploration. She wanted to get a better feel for the estate where Loki had made his home in Alfheim, as well as getting in some more practise with the horses. A blush rose to her face as she thought about how wonderful it would be to _impress_ him, to hone her skills and hear him praise her for her diligence. The day was beautiful as well, the perfect kind of warm summer day that was ideal for being outside. The air was hot, a faint smell of honey carried by a nice cool breeze. She was clad today in a long medieval style gown that flowed out behind her. A halter-top lined with gold trim kept her cool in the warmth of the day. Everything she wore was designed of course to show off the collar... and she couldn't imagine having it any other way.

As she walked the horse down the woodland path through the castle grounds, she took a deep breath as she appreciated the nature around her. It was similar to an Earth forest, but at the same time _not quite_. There was strange plant life that almost looked familiar but was embellished with odd colours. Some of the flowers seemed to glow with an innate ethereal light. She made a mental note to ask Loki if they could come outside at night sometime to see them in the dark. It was a beautiful and strange experience, riding leisurely through this otherworldly forest.

Perhaps it was because she was so caught up in the magic of this simple, quiet moment, that she was taken unawares. One minute she was gazing at the sky, and the next, the world went dark. She felt a stifling heat envelop her as everything around her disappeared from view, some form of bag going over her head. The horse spooked at the sudden movement, rearing up with a whiney of fright that was echoed by her own lips before he settled down again. Someone had taken the reins and was calming the creature, while she felt simultaneous hands grab at her from behind. The split second that took her off guard faded and as she felt herself fill with fright, and she lashed out with her arms at the unseen assailant, desperately twisting in the saddle and trying to free herself from the ropes that were being wound around her wrists.

"Unhand me! You have no right! _I am the property of-"_ Her words were cut off as a strip of leather was pressed into her mouth and tied around the back of her neck. It gagged her completely, and made it hard to breath as the sack was pulled tight to her face. Then she was being wrangled out of the saddle, and she was aware of a voice, male, speaking to someone, but she could not make out the words. As she struggled against the binds that held her, she felt consciousness slowly slipping from her, until complete darkness finally overcame her, and she went limp in her captors arms.

 

 

* * *

 

  
When she came to, all she was aware of was a splitting pain in her head. Groggily she attempted to open her eyes, and found the light too harsh to handle. She closed them again, and tugged at the bindings on her wrists. As she began to take stock of her surroundings, she realised that she was tied to a chair. Her ankles secure to the legs, arms tied behind her to the back of it. She pulled at them to test their strength, and it did not surprise her that they did not give. Fear began to well up in her. _Where was she? Who had taken her?_

Then fear began to give way to anger. Only _Loki_ had the right to do this to her. To bind her, make her vulnerable and afraid. _Only Loki._ And whoever had taken her was encroaching on _Loki's sole right to her_. And _that_ made her _angry_. She pulled again at the ropes in frustration, wanting to let out some steam. As she made another attempt at opening her eyes, this time she took note of where she was. She was in a room not very brightly lit, with little in the way of furnishings. It looked rather drab and grey... and as laces of electronic signals began to dance across her field of vision, she realised that it was familiar.

She knew this place. She was back on Earth.   
" _Ah..._ so you're awake." The obnoxious sounding voice grated on her ears, but it was not an unfamiliar sound. As she turned her head in the direction the voice had come from, a look of disgust and irritation crossed her face.  
"Well if it isn't _Justin Hammer_... I'll be impressed if you pulled this off yourself. Or is _Doom_ around somewhere holding your leash?" Her voice dripped with bravado and contempt. She had never liked the man.

He smirked slightly and chuckled as he looked her up and down from where he sat.  
"Funny. That's a funny quip, coming from _you. Slavegirl."_ He was leaning back in his chair casually, hands behind his head. As though he had all the time in the world. Anne only matched his smug little grin, leaning forward towards him.  
"Ooohh... do I detect a hint of jealousy? It's not _my_ fault _you_ can't fuck your boss, what with him being all locked up in a tin can like he is. "

At that the man leaned forward, the salacious grin on his lips spreading.   
"About that... I'm sure Victor would have loved to have had you to himself if it weren't for his... _disability_. But since _he_ lacks the ability to perform..." She felt her heart sink as she watched the man rise from his chair, pure lust burning in his eyes. "...well, that's why he let _me_ be your welcome home committee."

She felt her pulse begin to quicken in fear as he circled to come around behind the chair, but she gulped it back down, narrowing her eyes as she strained to watch him.  
"I've heard your screams from Loki's chambers many times.... maybe its time I make you scream _my_ name, hmmm?" She could hear his breathing, hot and panting on her neck. It reminded her of a dog, unrestrained with lust and impatience. Her skin crawled in disgust at what was happening, longing for Loki's arms to protect her.

"You aren't _man enough_ to make me scream." She retorted with a growl, turning her neck to stare him down. "Don't kid yourself Hammer.... I am _realms_ out of your league. " The slimy man did not seem taken aback by her words. His eyes glinted with desire. He was frightening, but not in the same way as Loki or even Amora could be frightening. There was no refinement. He was more like a base creature, unpredictable and therefore alarming, but ultimately unintelligent.   
"Hmmm... we'll see about that." His words were laced with a barely restrained hunger.  
As a hand came up to touch her, she snarled at him, once again lifting her chin to show off the collar, just as she had done when Amora had threatened her. It was her best protection.  
"I wouldn't touch me, if I were you. If you so much as lay _one finger_ on me, Loki will tear you limb from limb. And I will have _front row seats to watch the show_."  
The man grinned at that, ignoring her words for the moment as he trailed his fingers through her hair, bringing strands of it to his face to inhale deeply. She cringed away from him, a grimace of disgust across her lips

"Oh... we are _counting_ on Loki coming to rescue you. That's the _plan_."   
She laughed outright at that, pure amusement in her voice now as relief swept through her. Fear began to dissipate as she realised just how royally screwed her captors really were.  
" _Oh._ It's not a good one." She grinned and turned her head to look at him again. "And I _cant wait_ to see the fireworks." With a huff she leaned back her head and relaxed into the chair, adopting a bored expression. The mans hand had come to rest on her shoulder and it took all of her willpower not to shudder at the slimy feel of his clammy skin. Instead she maintained an uninterested air.

"Do whatever you want. Just don't say I didn't warn you. He might let you off on account of blindly following Doom's orders like the _pathetic lackey that you are_..... on the other hand if you actually go through with whatever you were planning to do to me, well.... let's just say I have never known him to be merciful when it comes to other people getting their grimy paws all over his things." A smug grin of triumph slowly spread across her lips as she heard him gulp, nervous anxiety causing his breathing to change. She could sense that he was having second thoughts... _good._

Not that she actually expected Loki to go easy on any of them. Not that she even _hoped_ he would. The man made her skin crawl, always had, and she would be only too happy to watch him storm into the place and _fuck their shit up._  
Hammer stood to his full height, attempting to appear menacing as he loomed over her, but there was a bead of nervous sweat dancing on his forehead that betrayed his apprehension.  
His hands raised slightly, as though Loki could be watching that very moment, and he backed away from her again.   
"We'll see about that..." he drawled, putting far more of a show of confidence then he actually possessed. "Victor isn't likely to be taken off guard... your time, and _your Masters time_ is about up. Maybe _you_ can beg _Doctor Doom_ for mercy instead, when this is all over. Maybe he wont kill you for being such an annoying little cunt. _If your lucky."_

His words were full of bluster, and easy to see through since his voice quivered as he spoke, and his eyes darted around in an anxious sweep of the room. And he did not make any move to touch her. As he left the room, she breathed a sigh of relief and fully relaxed, though her arms and legs were beginning to hurt. Well.... who knew how long she would be here, but she knew that Loki would come for her, and that was all that mattered.


	11. The Council of Alfheim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki’s audience with the Council of Alfheim is progressing smoothly… until he hears a voice in his head alerting him to some rather sinister developments…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aahhhhh Loki’s POV, I haven’t attempted that in a while ahaha…  
> Show of hands, how badly do you think Loki is going to react to these developments? :D

Loki stood before the group of six who sat in the grand hall of the Council of Alfheim. The men and women of the Council wore elaborate robes and looked nothing short of regal… the only thing to mar the carefully crafted image was the three seats that remained empty and the nervous glances that betrayed their fear. On the dais before the Council Loki stood, resplendent in his full armor, with three others at his side. Amora the Enchantress stood at his right, Thor at hand next to her. To his left stood the small, timid figure of Doctor Banner, green energy seeping from the heavy collar around his neck. The man fidgeted and appeared nervous, but did not raise a fuss.

Behind the group of them, some paces back, were three captives in chains and under heavy guard. Members of the Council with whom Loki had business. The head of the Council regarded the spectacle before him with some amount of loathing and anger, but listened calmly as Thor spoke.

“My brother will prove to be just and fair ruler for your Realm, I promise you. By Asgard I stand by his ability!” The man, while certainly no silvertongue, was passionate and brash. It was that, paired with his reputation in the Realms as the golden Prince of Asgard, that made him a good spokesperson. Amora’s enchantments had done their job well… Thor was putty in her hands, and believed and spouted anything she told him to.

The elderly elf did not however, seem much impressed by Thor’s assertions. His eyes went to Loki, who up till now had hung back and allowed his brother to do the speaking for him, making himself as unassuming as possible. The discussion had been going on for some time now.  
“We have heard the rumors, _Loki Liesmith_. We know that ours is not the first Realm that you have entered with the intent to conquer and rule. You come to us with armies at your back, members of our council in chains, and a beast at your shoulder. _Why_ should we bow to the will of Asgard? What has _Asgard_ to do with us?”

A slight smirk edged at the corners of his mouth, and Loki stepped forward, brushing Thor aside with a sweep of his hand. He smiled sweetly as he addressed the council himself.  
“My dear Council member… _I assure you_ , I want only what is best for _all_ of the Realms. These are merely… _encouragements_ for you to cooperate. I will see the Realms united and flourishing like they never have before.”

The man sneered as he listened to his words, moving from where he stood down the steps to stand before Loki more personally. “ _You will unite the Realms…_ how? Under your _boot?”_  
A snarl arose on Loki’s face to mar his perfect features for a moment as he leaned in towards the Council member. “Under my _lash_ if need be. Do not misunderstand. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated, but it is not necessary. The result will be the same either way, you cannot fight me. You have not the power nor the strength to resist me. You _will_ surrender your Realm to my rule, or _I will take it by force_. The choice is yours.”

The elf drew himself up, for a moment his eyes sweeping across the group that stood before him. Time seemed to stand still for that moment, and Bruce shifted uncomfortably as the mans gaze lighted on him for a moment before passing. When his eyes returned to Loki, he stiffened before speaking, his words dripping with mock deference. “The Council _humbly_ requests some time to discuss your proposal, _my Lord.”_

A wicked smile spread across Loki’s face then, and he nodded graciously. “But of course… I will grant you an _hour._ But…” he turned and gestured to the men behind him in chains, who had been silent and passive for the duration of the audience. “…I will be keeping _these ones_ in my custody. Your Council will have to reach a conclusion _without_ their input.”

The man nodded stiffly before returning to the other members of the Council. They began to speak amongst themselves, and Loki turned away to give them the opportunity to do so. For now, the audience was concluded. His eyes fell on the Doctor at his side, taking note of the fidgety movements and the way his gaze shifted about. The spell was not so strong as usual, and he was aware he was taking a gamble by bringing him out. The intent of course, was not to have to make use of the beast within, but to use the beast as a threat that would hopefully dissuade any kind of resistance.

“You look like you have something to say, Doctor.” He commented dryly, and Bruce’s eyes snapped up to meet his. The man was behaving himself thus far, though he did not appear happy about it.   
“No… I’ve watched you do this before. Having me here is a pretty good threat to keep people in line, yeah? You just bully people with threats until they give in. _Some ruler.”_ His words and tone were full of derision and disgust, but Loki waved it aside as he turned to face his captive more fully. With a gesture towards the council who were still embroiled in debate, he spoke.

“Do you see them? They control this entire Realm. _All of it._ There are no countries here, just _Alfheim_. Did you know that Midgard, your _precious Earth,_ is the _only_ one of the Realms so divided amongst itself? The _only_ one not united under one banner? I had to pick it apart, piece by piece, _one miserable little country_ after the other. It was painstaking and time consuming, but in the end it made Midgard much easier to conquer, as it was already so divided. _And now it is not_. What were countries are now merely provinces, and _all of them_ under _my_ jurisdiction. And I will see _all_ of the Realms so united. Under _my_ banner.”

Bruce looked away at that, his mind working through everything he had seen and learned in the last few days. Loki wasn’t _wrong_ , and Anne hadn’t been either lying or deluded. Earth was at peace more so then it ever had been before in all of its history. Wars between countries had all ended by Loki’s command. Of course, there were always radicals and dissidents, but Loki had done well to squash all such uprisings. And it really said a lot about the state of humanity that most radicals were more concerned with continuing old feuds and wars then they were with resisting _Loki._ So maybe Loki’s idea wasn’t such a bad one. But the question that Bruce still had trouble with, was _‘is Loki the right one for the job?’._ He wasn’t sure if he would get the answer.

Bruce remained quiet and in thought after that, and Loki turned his attention elsewhere. Amora was reaffirming her connection with Thor, and magic swirled around the pair of them. He paid her no mind, and even less to the one he once called brother. Taking a deep breath he willed himself to relax and wait for the outcome of this little audience. He had no doubt in his mind that he could indeed take the Realm by force if need be, but that was really much less preferable an alternative. He would rather not have to kill and lay to waste large portions of what was to be his if it could be avoided.

As the end of the allotted hour came to its conclusion, the elderly Council leader once again descended the steps, and Loki passively waited to meet him. He did not move, instead letting the other man come to him. The mans demeanor was changed, no longer filled with anger and pride. He seemed nervous, and Loki held back a smile of triumph at the change in attitude.  
“Has the Council reached a conclusion?” his words echoed through the room, and all eyes were on the pair of them.

“We… the Council voted, and the vote turned up tied. We beg more time before we give you our answer.” The man’s voice was softer, more hesitant this time, but it did nothing to prevent the shift in Loki’s mood. His lips turned into a frown, grimacing at the man before him.  
“ _More time?_ What do you take me for?” His voice was a low growl that made the Councilman cringe in fear. But before he could make an answer, another voice cut through the room. This one only Loki could hear, and he suddenly stiffened, his eyes going wide at the sound that played out through his mind.

_'If you so much as lay one finger on me, **Loki** will tear you limb from limb.’  
Anne._

Loki’s eyes snapped back to the Council in an instant, and gave a short, clipped nod.   
“ _Very well._ You have three days before I will return again. I suggest you use your time wisely.”  
The man seemed about to reply, but Loki had already turned on his heel and was walking out towards the entrance. Amora fell into step beside him with a look of concern.  
“Loki.. _My King…_ Why are you giving them more time? You have the advantage, you could press-” Her words were cut short with a single look from him, a glare with a dangerous glint dancing in his eyes.  
 _“I have other business to attend to._ Take Thor and get back to the manor. And do not _ever_ question my decisions again.”  
  
Amora appeared subdued after that, bowing her head and breaking off from him with Thor in tow. He did not however catch the smirk that played on her lips. While her eyes seemed full of concern and confusion, there was air of smug triumph in her that he might have found alarming, had his thoughts not be so preoccupied. She leaned her head against Thor's shoulder with a contented purr, and Thor wrapped his arm around her with an affectionate smile of puppy-dog devotion.  
  
The guards he had brought with him were taking the message that it was time to leave and rounding up the prisoners. The Council members and Bruce were methodically being corralled as per the usual system, but Loki paused for a moment as he looked to the group of people beginning to move as one.

“No. Not him. _I want the Doctor with me.”_


	12. Fear no Evil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki is on the warpath as he tries to ascertain where his beloved pet has been taken to. Bruce follows along in confusion, attempting to figure out what is going on inside of the god's head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually rather surprised that this is the first time I've written a masturbation scene! Fun!  
> And I'm really having fun bringing Bruce around slowly but surely muahaha.

She pulled tentatively at the ropes that bound her wrists.   
As the time had ticked by, she had grown more and more restless and frustrated with her situation. Her wrists were sore, and her back ached from being forced to sit up straight for what had to be hours. Her fingers twitched some to feel at the ropes before she began the task of feeling them out in earnest. It gave her mind a focal point, something to concentrate on, rather than the immense boredom that was Doom's current situation for her.

The ropes were not as impressive as they could have been. Compared to Loki's expertise with rope work, these were amateur and sloppy. Tight, yes, but not as secure as she was used to. As her fingers worked around the knots, she smirked to herself at the lazy workmanship. Loki would of course have never bound her so carelessly... a sigh escaped her lips as she imagined him before her, a smug grin of amusement on his lips as he watched her attempt to free herself from the ropes he had bound her with.

He would probably taunt her mercilessly. _'Oh... poor little pet cannot free herself? My my... whatever will she do....'_   
She smiled at the thought. She could all but hear the man's voice, smooth as velvet, speaking such words, whispering promises of terrible consequences.  
_'Good girl's do not try to escape now... you want to be good for me, don't you pet?'_  
"Oh.. _yes..."_ she murmured as she pulled at the ropes. Her mind weaving a sweet picture of his power controlling her, manipulating her, and she could feel herself becoming wet with a growing desire.

All of a sudden, the ropes gave. Her fingers slipped in between the knots, tugging them loose to fall in a heap on the floor. It hadn't taken too much effort, if she was honest. Half of her was jubilant at her success. _Loki would be proud!_ The other half of her felt disappointed, and a little derisive. _Loki's knots would never be so easy to break..._

She took a deep breath as her eyes strayed to the security camera that was carefully trained on her. Of course, Doom probably had someone on duty monitoring her. However... alarms hadn't risen yet, so it was possible she had lucked out and hit a moment when nobody was vigilant. Such luck would not last long, she knew. Her brows narrowed as she reached out quickly to grasp at a stream of data traveling through the air. It was a rather simple matter of rigging the camera to display looped footage of herself sitting complacently in the chair, just where she was supposed to be.

Then she lent down to undo the ropes at her feet. Her heart raced inside of her chest as she loosened the ties. Fear of being caught began to stream through her. Had her actions indeed passed unnoticed? Or were there guards on the way now to put her back into position. Perhaps this time a more painful position. Or perhaps Hammer would return, his mind changed from his previous decision to leave her untouched. He would come to force her back into her binds, and this time he would not hold back every disgusting thing he wanted to-

_NO._

Loki would not allow that to happen. And neither would she.   
She chided herself for allowing herself to get swept away with fear. Her mind should be better trained then this. There were some things that she knew as core truths. Loki loved her. Loki would come for her. Only Loki had the right to touch her, and Loki would do anything to uphold that right. And Loki could hear her when she spoke his name. Which she had. She knew she had... so all that mattered now was to do her best to get away from her enemies in the interim. But the one thing she would _not_ allow herself to do was _fear_ , because her fear belonged to Loki _only._

As she calmed herself down she felt a warmth spread over her. She bit her lip to keep from swooning as she pictured Loki swooping in to her rescue, full battle armor and regalia. His gaze furious and intense, so intense it threatened to swallow up anyone who met it, eyes flashing with righteous indignation as he set into those who had wronged her. It was a beautiful image, terrifying and comforting all at once. His staff tearing through his enemies and his magic laying waste to armies, all to get to her. All to rescue _her._

The picture was beautiful and she could not get it out of her mind. As she imagined his wrath in the face of those who would defy him, she found her hand moving to clutch herself. She could just imagine how he would swoop her up in his grasp, clasp her to his chest. His eyes which had previously been so full of malice would soften as they met hers.  
_'Are you alright, pet?'_ the words would whisper across her senses. She closed her eyes as she imagined all of this, closing her fingers around her breast in a desperate attempt to simulate how he would touch her.

Her hand moved from her breast to slip down her front. When her fingers glided over what she had unconsciously been searching for, her breath hitched. The ring.... it was a reminder of who owned her, and that made her all the more desperate for him. But it was also a reminder of what happened when she did not obey him, and that made her wrench her hand back in alarm. _No..._ she had not been given permission. She _couldn't possibly..._

But all she could think of was him... his eyes, boring into hers, his lips... god, those lips. They could do so many things to her. Hovering close to her ear, whispering words of lust that would make her whole body shudder. Or moving across her neck, making her writhe at the feel of them. Pressed against her own lips, making heat rise across her skin, making her dizzy with desire and emotion. Desperately her hands went to the cloth of her dress, pulling it quickly to hike it up. She moaned aloud as she felt fingers across her clit, desperately wishing they were not her own.

His hands. His hands could be used to do so many things to her. To hold her tenderly. To restrain her roughly. To give her pain, or pleasure. She whimpered as she moved another hand to her entrance, slipping a finger inside of herself. Leaning back against the chair, she gasped aloud as she curled it inwards, bringing herself the kind of sensations he himself had taught her to feel and accept. Her face was hot with shame as she swirled circles with both fingers, one on her clit and the other buried inside of her. She knew she was not allowed to be doing what she was doing.

But she could just see him in her minds eye, holding her down forcefully in the rubble of the inevitable battle. His fallen enemies strewn about, his captives in chains and ignored for the moment as he thrust into her, buried his cock deep within her. _Reclaimed_ her.

Her eyes flitted to the security camera that she had rigged. She knew nobody could see her of course... but the fantasy was so tantalizing. Loki, on the other side, watching a live video feed of her. _'Put on a show for me, pet. You know how I love to see you cum for me...'_

Her gasps and cries filled the room now as he hips bucked in the chair to rub her fingers. She pictured his eyes on her, intently watching her as though she were nothing but a toy for his amusement. The idea was so tangible, and so intoxicating. She groaned as she thrust into herself, her back arching. _'Cum for me, pet...'_

Her toes curled as she shouted out in ecstasy. _"LO-!"_  
She stopped herself, holding her breath as she rode out the orgasm. It was not as satisfying as the real deal, masturbation never was, but it was marred further by the knowledge that it hadn't been granted. She had not had permission, and shame rose upon her face as she panted and relaxed back into the chair. Guilt swept through her and she felt miserable as she collected herself and caught her breath. She hoped she had cut off speaking his name in time... maybe he wouldn't know..

In the meantime, she had to find a way out of here. This... _dalliance_ had been a foolish act on her part, a waste of precious time and opportunity. She would not waste another moment. After taking a deep breath she turned her attention once more to the electronic signals dancing through the air. She could try to shut down the entire complex, of course, but such a feat was a little more difficult than she might be able to manage... not to mention, she didn't exactly want to raise the alarm quite yet. It would be better to sneak off before anyone noticed.  
The only signal she needed was the lock panel. As she stood, raising herself from the chair, which was now drenched in sweat, she fiddled quickly with the signals to trick the mechanism. When she heard the click that sounded the opening of the door she smiled to herself.

_There we go._

 

 

* * *

 

　

 

Loki was barreling through the manor in a rage. Bruce still had no idea what was going on, which was a first since his capture. Regardless of what he thought of Loki's plans for him, the man had at least always made it clear what they were. Now nothing was clear, and as he watched the mad god storm his way through the building, he sighed with the resignation of one who was accustomed to having no control over their own life.

He had followed dutifully at the god's side since the Council. It was the payment for the news that Loki had provided after all (and the distraction of information and current events was a veritable breath of fresh air after his long confinement), but even if it hadn't been it wasn't as though resisting would have done any good anyways. He could tell that the spells that kept him drowsy and docile were a little less potent today, but he knew also that Loki could change that in a heartbeat. So he had not offered any resistance when he was taken out of his cell, nor now when Loki had ordered him to follow him after the council.

Loki was angry, that much Bruce could see. As he marched his way down the hallway, Bruce hurrying to keep up with him, he rounded on a servant who was busying himself cleaning. (Servant? Slave? Bruce really couldn't keep track of who was what, or what words meant what to their resident dictator) The young boy was suddenly thrown against the wall, and Bruce cried out in alarm, hesitatingly reaching out towards them, unsure what he could possibly do in this situation. Loki leaned into him, gripping him by the collar of his shirt, and his eyes flashed in anger and frustration. The youth's eyes were full of fear as he gazed up at him.

" _Where_ is the Lady Antoinette?" Loki demanded through gritted teeth, his voice hard and his expression menacing. The boy whimpered some before pitifully whispering out, "pl.. please Master.. I... I haven't seen her..."  
A tsking sound was heard before Loki released the boy as suddenly as he had grasped him, and he crumpled to the ground. Bruce took notice that Loki at least had the decency to look annoyed with himself for having lost his composure, his eyes flitting off to the side. The fire of rage within them for the moment quelled. Then he was moving again, a brisk pace down the hallway, the servant forgotten and ignored.

As Bruce rushed to catch up, he coughed to clear his throat. "Umm... are you.. going to tell me what we're doing here....?" he attempted, but immediately regretted speaking. Loki rounded on him like a coiled spring that had just been waiting for an opportunity to release. As he spun around his eyes flashed with a burning rage that made Bruce withdraw some. " _You_ are here to follow my orders _without question_. To keep the beast locked inside of that pitiful mortal frame of yours if I wish it. Or to _unleash_ it at my command and destroy and lay to waste _whatever I see fit_ , if I wish it. _That_ is what _you_ are here for, Doctor."

Bruce's eyes were wide as he watched Loki with the weariness one would give a wild creature. He didn't feel fear, not quite, not really, thanks to his drugged state. But he could feel that he should be afraid. Still, indignation was attempting to rule out. He may have agreed to behave himself, and maybe he had been beaten down enough to be considering actually listening to Loki more often, but he had his limits. Blind, unquestioning obedience just was not in him. He shook his head and took a deep breath. "Is that what _Anne_ does? Blindly follows, no questions asked?"

He winced and took a step back at Loki's reaction to his words. Should have listened to his gut warning him that he should be feeling fear right now. Without warning Loki's hand had smashed into the wall beside them with a crash, cracks forming out from his fist. There was a feral like quality to Loki's movements that was sending warning bells ringing through his mind.  
" _You_ are not _her!"_ Loki had never looked more animalistic than in that moment, words shouted with unbridled emotion. "She has _earned_ her place at my side, _you_ have earned _nothing!"_

Bruce was intimidated, not necessarily by his show of force and physical prowess, but by his extreme passion. "You have yet to learn your place, and I have not the time at this moment to teach it to you more fully. For the time being, you will remain _silent._ I do not wish to hear a _word_ from you unless you have been spoken to, _are we clear?"_ Bruce nodded silently, a slow movement that betrayed more awe than he wanted. Then Loki was continuing again, muttering to himself, and Bruce was forced to once again play catch up, bewildered at this strange turn of events.

A few more servants were questioned, though Loki was more careful to be as restrained as possible so as not to terrify them like he had the first hapless boy he had run across. None of them knew where Anne was until he came to one of the kitchen staff. She was bustling through the castle, trying to get the evening meal organized when Loki rounded on her, cutting off her path. She immediately upon realising who was standing before her cast her eyes to the floor, just as all of his servants were taught.

_"Where is the Lady Antoinette?"_ He repeated for the umpteenth time. She frowned and seemed to think for a moment before she responded. "I... believe she was last seen heading for the stables. She was planning on riding... I don't think anyone has seen her since, Master."

Bruce took careful note of the look of relief that crossed his face upon finally receiving some information. Loki paused to close his eyes and take a deep breath before he nodded to the girl curtly. "Thank you" was all he said before he was quickly headed in the direction of the stables. Bruce felt like his entire day at this point had been a game of catch up with the Norse god.

When they had finally arrived at the stables, the warm summer air falling hot on his shoulders, Loki's gaze seemed to sweep frantically this way and that. The air of anxious worry was contagious, and Bruce felt his own mood begin to shift, which was at first alarming considering how difficult it was for him to feel anything lately. Loki's emotional state seemed to be swept into his and it was... disconcerting. The god was muttering to himself as he walked, his pace slowing down as he took in his surroundings.

"There is magic afoot in the air...." he murmured, and Bruce strained to listen in to hear more, to try to find some pieces to this bizarre puzzle. As the deity continued to walk, moving through the stables and out onto the path that lead into the woods, he frowned. Suddenly he stiffened and turned to the side. Bruce's confusion began to abate as he watched Loki make some obscure actions with his hands before what looked like a great mirror shimmered into existence. It looked almost exactly like...

"Someone has opened a portal..." Loki's voice was soft as he continued making foreign gestures with his hands, motioning across its surface. "That's not possible... even I would have trouble doing such a thing, only Amora is capable... But hers is not the magical signature here..."  
His eyes looked troubled, confused as he continued attempting to read whatever magic he found within the well of reflected light before him. But then, rather suddenly, his teeth clenched, and a downright primal growl was loosed from deep within his throat.

_"Victor."_

 


	13. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne's escape seems to be going well, until she finds herself face to face with the last person she wanted to see. Meanwhile, Bruce Banner and Loki are also finding themselves faced with an unexpected turn of events....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohgosh you guys I have all the respect for those of you who write kickass action sequences because I cannot write action to save my life ahgad. *dies*

Her heart raced as she crept through corridors that were familiar and yet, unsettling. Once they were her home, free to traverse as she pleased. But now they took on a sinister feel as she kept herself hidden behind corners and checked security cameras for guards. It was possible that Loki still had loyalists here... but she wasn't going to chance it. Not with Doom in charge.

She didn't have a plan, not exactly. The plan for now was simply to get out of the complex and hide out somewhere where she could wait for Loki to sort Doom out and then come for her. If it was indeed a trap laid to lure him to his defeat, Doom would have a rather rude surprise awaiting him. She had no doubt whatsoever that Doom's plan was going to backfire in a spectacular manor. The thought made her smile to herself as she moved through the hallways, avoiding security and skirting around corners. 

_'When the day comes that Victor von Doom betrays me... I will make him wish he had never been born.'_  
Those were the words he had spoken. And she fully believed he had meant it whole heartedly. Leaning against the wall she carefully peeked around the corner. She was quite close now to one of the exit doors... not much farther to go. A sigh of relief passed her lips as she closed her eyes and steeled herself for the dash to the exit. She knew from reading the security feeds that there was nobody around.... however, technology was not infallible, and it couldn't hurt to be extra cautious.

Quickly she darted towards the door, her heart pounding in her chest when she reached it. Nobody in sight. With a deep breath she reached out to the handle. A small moment of anticipation passed, the pitter patter of her heart silenced as she turned the knob and pushed the door open. And then her stomach leapt up into her throat, a sickening sense of dread and disappointment filling her core. Victor von Doom himself stood patiently, impassive mask betraying no hint of emotion. No malice, no triumph, no annoyance or anger. It was calm and serene an image as always, and it was _terrifying._

As he turned towards her, his eyes locking with hers for a long and frightful moment, she backed up into the complex again. Not sure where she was going to go, with him standing between her and freedom, but it didn't matter.   
"Ah... _there_ you are, _my Lady."_ His booming voice met her ears and she cringed at the sound of it. He was sauntering towards her, crossing the threshold with not a care in the world, knowing he had all the time he could possibly want. Well she wasn't exactly going to see sit there and let him recapture her. She could just picture the smug grin that must be resting upon his masked face, and she wanted to wipe it permanently from his lips.

_This shouldn't be too difficult. He's in a super powered suit... just like Iron Man. I can take him down._ With frantic movements she reached out to the streams of data, looking for the ones that could connect her to the mechanisms in his armor. But it was taking too long. She knew that he was going to make a grab at her, and his physical strength would easily overpower her.

So she made a run for it. Turning on her heel she sprinted back down the hall, shutting down lights and security features as she went, hoping to buy herself some time. She could hear him in pursuit, but she forced herself to keep going, sparks flying behind her as she forcibly crashed the compounds systems one by one. But the elusive thread to his suit remained just out of grasp, until...

She came to a halt around a corner, desperately attempting to catch her breath as she fiddled with the lines of code. She had almost cracked it, _almost succeeded_ in shutting it down when she felt a force push back against her. Her fingers strained to work the mechanisms to her will, but there was interference. His will was preventing her from altering the data stream. She could feel her mind physically set upon, as a stronger presence battled her abilities. She cried aloud at the strange sensation that set a fire behind her eyes, and pressed a finger to her temple. She had never encountered anything like this before... she knew that Doom had as much magical prowess as technological, but she hadn't suspected he would be capable of blocking her.

"Come now Anne, we can do this much more easily and it will turn out much better for you in the long run. You are not my goal, you are merely a means to an end. This does not have to be so difficult. You _are_ accustomed to _obediently following orders_ , are you not?" Victors voice grated on her as she continued attempting to force a complete shut down of his suit. As it was he was _not_ cooperating. She snarled and peeked out at him from behind the corner.   
"Don't you _fucking come near me_ , Doom. I will shut this _entire place down_ if I have to."

He sighed and continued moving towards her, each step of heavy metal sounding on the hard floor with a crack. "I have no doubt... this is what I get for letting that pathetic worm Hammer deal with _what I should see to myself."_  
She didn't wait around for him to reach her, setting off at a run once more. But this time her flight was.. _. halted_. She felt her body being manipulated and moved, a sudden rush of force as she was dragged through the air backwards. Her heels dragged on the ground as she fought to loose herself from the invisible force pulling her. Doom's hand flexed and motioned, moving her effortlessly with his mind.

As she skidded to a halt she felt a large gloved hand wrap around her neck from behind.  
Another hand moved around in front of her to engulf both of hers, her wrists caught in his powerful grasp. She struggled to move, but his grip on her was firm and unyielding.   
"I have important plans for you, and I won't let you go running off again, sweetheart. Now... I know that Loki can hear when you say his name aloud, _yes?"_

She gritted her teeth, but stopped struggling against him, knowing it would only be  a waste of strength and energy. "He already knows.. he's on his way already, and when he gets here you better _pray_ that there are gods higher than _Asgard_ to save you." Doom's laughter rang through the hallway, vicious and mocking.

"I'm sure you have already alerted him to your plight... let's give him some incentive to _hurry,_ shall we?" As he spoke he drew her back and bent her backwards before she felt shockwaves stream through her body. Her screams split through the building as wave after wave of electricity ran through her, Doom looking on impassively as ever.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

  
Bruce shook his head to as he came to. The portal journey was just as painful as he remembered from the last time. Splitting sensations across his skull, paired with an indescribable feeling of intense cold. It wasn't the most pleasant sensation, that was for sure. And it wasn't any easier the second go around. Both times it had made him black out, only to regain consciousness on the other side. He groaned as he picked himself up off the ground and looked around to take in his surroundings.

His surroundings were utter chaos.

The first thing he noticed were the explosions. Armies of Loki's men were on the defensive, guns blazing and chewing up the terrain around them. The sound hit him before the sight of it all. And when he managed to focus in on what was around him, the sight was even more perplexing.

He was outside. The giant manor that served as Loki's castle and head base of operations on Earth was within sight at the top of a hill nearby. Where he was standing however, looked like some sort of graveyard. Not a well kept or respectful one... this looked more like a _dumping ground_ of sorts. The earth was littered with holes, some filled with corpses, others empty. Still more spaces seemed freshly filled in. Loki was standing a few paces away, slightly further up the hill. His expression was angry, and Bruce heard him curse in Asgardian as his eyes flitted this way and that. The words may have been foreign, but the tone and intent were universal.

"I have been gone for a _month_ , and he has managed to let _everything_ go to shit _already..."_  
The words fell as a snarl from his lips. At the same time, Bruce's attention was drawn back to the chaos and the fighting nearby. Loki's armies were working hard to fight off.... As Bruce turned his eye to the sky he caught sight of a familiar red and gold figure.

They were fighting the Avengers. Some of them, at least. Captain America's shield was flying through the air, barreling down foes in its path in record time. He could just catch a glimpse of Black Widow, expertly wrestling her way through soldiers. And Iron Man, careening through the air like a dancer, blasts from his palms sweeping through enemy lines. They looked like they were winning, too. His attention was torn from them once again however by Loki.

His voice was a growl, low in the man's throat as he grabbed the back of Bruce's neck and jerked his head back towards himself. " _If your friends_ had _anything_ to do with Anne's-"  
Bruce's eyes moved towards him and he turned his head towards him as much as he could, cutting the god's words off with his movements. His gaze was incredulous as understanding began to dawn on him. Amidst the battle and carnage around them, he took in the deity whose grasp he was caught in with some amount of amazement.

" _That's_ what this is about, isn't it? Something's happened to _Anne?"_ A mirthless chuckle fell from the Doctor. It didn't make sense... and yet it was so _simple._ So simple he found it hard to believe, but... Loki released him with an angered huff as the fight began to move closer to the pair of them. With a whirl of motion Loki spun away from him to avoid one of Hawkeyes arrows, which whizzed past them and into the hillside. Bruce only just managed to duck away in time before the explosion set off would have caught him in the face.

Bruce was a little away from the action now. He watched in awe as Loki moved with the fluid grace of a wildcat. Like a force of nature, he slunk around his opponents, who shouted to each other as he came into view. Clearly they had not expected Loki to make an appearance in this battle, from the commotion it raised.

" _I have a sighting on Loki_. Yeah, big guy himself decided to join the party." Iron Man's voice rang through the communications channels.

"I'm on it." Captain America was moving towards the trickster, barreling across the field with his shield in his grasp. When it was launched towards the Asgardian, Bruce was certain the weapon would make contact. At the last moment however, Loki teleported, a soured expression on his face, as though this was a nuisance and a bother, nothing more. He was soon winking back into view a few paces away from where he had been, and as he looked on Bruce could see the man duplicate in front of his eyes. That was a sight that would likely never get old.

Now there were three Loki's on the field. Each of the Avengers were led in different directions, the Captain chasing after the middle one with a look of frustrated determination. Widow and Hawkeye sprinted after the others. Bruce was left to simply watch how all of this would play out, stepping back to view the battle. Loki was giving the Avengers a run for their money. Just like old times... he thought wistfully. He knew he should be feeling something, _anything_. Fear, _frustration..._ instead he was oddly _apathetic_ about the turn of events.

The clones danced around their foes. Black Widow was holding her own well, but she wasn't fast enough to take down the mad god. Her body was taught as she launched herself foot first only to be caught midair and spun to the ground, her own body weight and momentum used against her. Hawkeye's arrows meanwhile couldn't land a hit, and he could hear the string of swear words from the resident archer from where he stood.

The Captain was the one wrestling the most with Loki. The two of them were locked arm in arm now, staring each other down. Loki hadn't even broken a sweat yet, while the Captain was looking much more the worse for ware. He had lost his helmet at some point in the chaos, and his suit was torn here and there, blood seeping from his cuts. It looked like they had been at this for a while before the pair of interdimensional travelers had popped up. He was covered in dirt and grime as he drove his fist into the god's stomach. Loki didn't even flinch, grabbing him by the wrist as his hand connected and spinning him around in his grasp. Bruce saw Rogers wince in pain as his arm was twisted against his back. Loki's signature Cheshire Cat grin was absent however. His expression was a permanent scowl.

Bruce's attention was torn away from the pair of them by another explosion blasting into the hillside. Realising it might be a good idea to look for some form of cover out here, his gaze started moving across the field. Everything was a haphazard mess, but there were some larger bits of rubble that might serve well. Before he could make a move towards one however, he felt his body blown from where he stood as the ground beside him erupted in flames. He flew through the air for all of a second before he landed, pain lancing through his body. Groggily he looked up to see a red and gold figure flying out of the sky, directly towards him. As hard metallic arms circled his ribs he groaned incoherently.

" _Easy there_. I gotcha, Brucie."

"Tony... lord are you a sight.. for sore.."  
Then the world went dark.

 

* * *

 

 

  
As Loki wrestled with Captain America, holding the super soldier in a locked hold, he barely had time to keep an eye on what was going on around him. His clones were doing their jobs, keeping the other Avengers from being too much of a bother. It was time to wrap this up, and sooner rather than later.

Suddenly the Avengers looked on in amazement as his clones disappeared in a flash. Loki stumbled back from the Captain, who turned immediately to face his foe. The god paid him no mind, gripping his head as a bloodcurdling scream ripped through his consciousness.

_"LOKIII!!!"_

 

* * *

 


	14. Assembled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce is back with the Avengers now, who have been recruited since their escape to join an underground resistance. Finally some of the pieces of the puzzle are falling into place, and Bruce is starting to question just how mad the god of chaos truly is...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EXPOSITION! And some feels??  
> This is gearing up for a grand finale now guys! A few more chapters to go!

When Bruce groggily came to this time, his surroundings were very different. His head spun and his body ached. With a groan he slowly sat up in the bed he was laying in, before he felt hands catch him quickly to help him into a sitting position. A familiar voice fell on his ears, a voice he had given up hope of ever hearing again.

"Easy, _easy_ Brucie. You're alright. Here, drink this." As Tony Stark pressed a cup of water to his lips he tilted his head back to drink. It felt absolutely heavenly. With a deep breath he settled against the wall the cot was up against and took a look around. They were in a dark room, fairly expansive. It looked like a storage bunker, probably underground. And standing around, expectantly watching him, were his team mates. Lord, how long had it been since he had seen any of them?

"Are you alright?" The concerned voice of Steve Rogers came to him and he nodded mutely for a moment before responding.   
"Yeah... good enough, I guess." His eyes moved back to Tony, who was sitting beside the cot. "Where.. _how?_ What's happening?" Tony's signature smirk in response seemed more forced then he remembered. "Well, we were thinking the same thing." Bruce noticed how the mans eyes lingered on the mechanical device around his neck.

"Well... let's start with this. How long have you guys been... _out?"_ His eyes panned the group of them. Steve Rogers looked absolutely beat. His eyes were bloodshot and there were dark circles underneath them. He looked like he hadn't slept in months. And the rest of them weren't looking much better. Clint and Natasha were seated nearby, each looking as though rest was a thing of the past. And worse, they looked small and _weakened_ , as though they hadn't eaten in recent memory.

Tony was the one that answered, after he had followed Bruce's gaze and ascertained what was bothering the scientist. "About a week. We... We escaped, with some help from an unknown source. A castle guard stabbing his employer in the back, I guess. Weren't able to find you or Thor though." Tony's eyes were searching as he looked back to his friend.

"No... you wouldn't have. Loki kept the two of us with him. We... factored into his... _plans."_  
There was a silence in the room for a moment as everyone digested this. It wasn't unknown of course. Thor and Bruce were always going to be kept around. It was the rest of them who had only been kept alive at the behest of a certain SHIELD agent turned Loki sympathiser. None of them really liked to be reminded of that scene. To say it had been... uncomfortable to watch would be an understatement. Of course, Bruce hadn't been there to see it himself. He had only heard about it second-hand.

He coughed to clear his throat as he looked from Tony to Steve again. "What's the latest? I haven't had any contact with the outside world since... _well_. Fill me in."  
Steve sighed and tilted his head back some, gazing up at the ceiling as he slowly began to speak. "Well. Can't speak for the _entire_ time Loki's been in power, but... things have been interesting this last month, at least. We were recruited by the underground resistance shortly after we made it out."

"There's an underground resistance?" Bruce eyed him curiously. He heard a snort from Natasha, who had stood up to stretch her legs. " _Of course_ there is. There _always_ is." Came the reply. She lacked her usual feminine grace. He couldn't recall ever seeing her so... tired. "And it didn't take them long to find us. Guess news travels fast."

A door opened then, the sound causing him to tear his eyes away from the assassin to see who had opened it. He was unfamiliar with this woman... she looked quite young, actually. He narrowed his eyes in curiosity as he tried to work out just how young. The girl had to be in her late teens at the youngest. She had long brown hair and was dressed in red leather. When she spoke it was with a thick accent.

"I brought some food.. it isn't much." She had in her hands a large bowl of some sort of soup and five smaller bowls. She moved confidently into the room, as though it were all routine, depositing the dishes on a smallish table. Clint was the first to move to the table to help himself to soup, before Natasha cut him off, snatching the now filled bowl out of his hands.   
" _Bruce_ first." She said simply, eliciting a pout from the archer as she walked over to Bruce's bed with the bowl in hand.

He thankfully accepted it where he sat before his gaze again was on the new girl. She was looking him over too, suspicion in her eyes. "My name is Wanda. I am part of the resistance... I suppose your friends have told you of us?" He only nodded, his stomach growling loudly in an insistence that he eat. Natasha was busying herself portioning out the rest of the food. If anyone noticed that nobody had gotten quite as much as Bruce, nobody said anything.

"I hear there's been some... _excitement_ this last month?" He sighed as he drank the soup. It was tasteless and watery, but he was starving after his stint portal jumping and blacking out. His whole body still ached, and it was a welcome distraction from the fire in his joints and head. Wanda nodded as she watched him carefully. Clearly she did not trust him yet.. not that he could blame her.  
"About a month ago, Loki seemed to... disappear. Leaving Victor von Doom in charge." Bruce winced. So that was the guy... it made sense. He didn't like the idea of him being in charge any more than Loki.

"It was shortly after that that Doom unveiled an experimental operation. He was testing out a machine he said he had been working on, a machine that would marry magic with technology. At first he took only volunteers to be the subjects of this experiment. Promises of wealth and status within Loki's order meant that volunteers were not hard to find. That is, until word began to get out that less than half of those experimented on with this machine came out alive. Those that did survive... they were weakened, bed ridden. Some in a coma. Soon the volunteers stopped coming... so he started taking whoever he pleased to work on."

Bruce listened attentively to Wanda's story with growing dread. So the graveyard they had materialized in... A dumping ground for test subjects?  
"We did some reconnaissance, of course. Our operatives discovered what the purpose of the machine was. It was never a test, or an experiment as Doctor Doom claimed. It sucks the life forces out of a person and siphons it into Doom himself, making him more powerful and leaving the victim an empty husk." He voice was laced with disgust as she recounted everything they had learned about Doom's machine and his plans.

Still, something was not quite adding up. With a confused tone, Bruce piped up. "But... that doesn't make any sense, Loki wouldn't.." He stopped himself for a moment. Loki wouldn't _what?_ Approve of such a machine? How could he be so _certain?_ He coughed, his throat constricting some as he sorted through his thoughts carefully. "...I mean, Loki is the head honcho here, right? Why would he approve of Doom doing something that could potentially make him more powerful than himself? Also...." his brow furroughed as he tried to piece the bizarre puzzle before him together. "Isn't it _odd_ that Doom started doing this right after Loki left the Realm?"

Steve tilted his head as he looked at his friend. His bowl of soup half eaten, sitting on his lap as he pondered Bruce's words. "Are you saying there's some _double crossing_ going on here? Because that would be _great_ news for us. If the two of them are _fighting each other...."_  
Bruce's eyes widened as he considered that before he nodded slowly. Something that Loki had said... suddenly made a whole lot of sense. "Yeah... a _Kingdom divided against itself_... can't stand." His voice was soft. Maybe Loki _wasn't_ so crazy after all.  
 _"....Right._ If Loki is back, and none of this was sanctioned by the big guy himself, then the ensuing distraction is just what we need to get in there are destroy the machine."   
Wanda nodded as she listened, sitting herself down for the moment as the discussion continued. "Loki has global control. We aren't a big enough movement yet to try to overthrow his rule on this planet, but we _can_ do what we can here and there to keep up a resistance. Destroying this machine is one thing we _can_ do."

Bruce considered this. A group of basically guerilla fighters putting up as much of a fight as they could against a regime that spanned the entire globe.   
"Has anything atrocious like what Doom has been doing happened... uh, you know... _before_ Loki left?" He felt like a fool for even asking. What would they think of the question? He felt his heart sink as everyone in the room blinked at him for a moment before Wanda frowned.  
"Not of this magnitude, no." Came the reply. It was the one he had been both hoping for and dreading, because it meant so many things, confusing things. Her voice was hard however as she continued. "But that _does not_ mean he isn't as much of a monster as Doom. _Thousands_ of people died during his hostile takeover of the planet, during his campaign to rule the world. Countries were _decimated,_ that _alone_ is enough reason to overthrow him." Bruce took a deep breath and nodded quickly, putting his hands up defensively.

"I hear you. I'm not disputing that. I was just curious. I haven't been in the know of what's going on for a very long time." Relief washed over him as this answer seemed to satisfy her.  
"Still though..." He began again, "I uh... I don't know what use I'll be to you guys here." He turned to Tony, still nearest to him, and tapped the collar around his neck. "I can't Hulk out with this thing on, and Loki is the only one who can take it off."

Stark nodded his understanding, leaning in closer to inspect the mechanisms. "Don't worry buddy, I'll find a way to get that thing off of you. Just might be later rather then sooner... may I?" He reached forward to touch it as Bruce nodded his consent. Tony found the metal cool to the touch, but nothing was strange about it. Except for the fact that there was no apparent way to remove it. He waved his fingers through the green mist that emanated from it, keeping the Doctor docile, and sighed.

"It'll take some mucking around.." he muttered before he looked his friend in the eye again. "Anyways, for now just leave it to us. We understand." Steve nodded in agreement, though he looked reluctantly disappointed. "The Hulk and Thor _are_ our heaviest hitters though... no word on where Thor is at, I imagine?" Bruce shoot his head. "I'm afraid Thor is still back in Alfheim."  
When everyone looked at him with an expression of confusion he elaborated. "Er... Alfheim. It's... one of the Nine Realms, I guess. It's Loki's next target. Where he's been for the last month."

"Gotcha... " Tony stood up slowly, stretched his back before he patted his friend on the shoulder. "Well you just get some rest, okay? I'm sure you need it after everything that's happened. We'll clear out for now. Talk more in the morning." Bruce nodded with a reluctance as the room started to clear out. He wasn't really tired, but it wasn't a bad suggestion. After almost everyone had left the room, it was Steve who lingered. His mannerisms were fidgety and nervous, and Bruce had a pretty good guess what he wanted to talk about.

"Hey, uh... you've been kept pretty close to Loki, right? Have you..." he trailed off, his eyes looking to the side. Bruce jumped in to fill in the blanks. "Have I seen _Anne?"_ He supplied gently, looking the Captain over. Steve's eyes came back up to meet his with a nod.  
"Has.. has he _hurt_ her? Is she _okay?"_

Bruce let out a slow breath as he contemplated what to tell the Captain. Slowly he tried to pick his words with care. "I... don't know if this is what you want to hear. But _no,_ he hasn't hurt her. I haven't exactly spoken with her often, but she seems... fine. More than fine. She seems _good_."

The look on Steve's face was exactly the mixture of pain and relief that Bruce had expected.  
" _Good._ I just.. I wanted to know that she's okay." He fidgeted some more, and Bruce could tell he was battling the pain of rejection. There was a small part of the man that had wanted to hear that she was miserable, that Loki had tortured her and made her life a living hell, because that would be easier than knowing that she was happy with Loki. But because the Captain was such a... well, he a good man. He knew that Steve would not acknowledge those darker, selfish thoughts. Probably not even to himself.

"You know... It's funny, but this collar..." he tapped the metal that encircled his neck. "This is pretty much what I have always been looking for. _A cure_. A way to make the other guy go away for good. It's probably the closest I'm ever going to get to being.. _normal_." He laughed a joyless laugh, seeing the way the Captain looked at him, unsure where he was going with this. "Probably, it's better for me and everyone else on the planet if I never get this thing off of me. But you know? It also makes it impossible to feel... _anything_. I can't get angry. But I also can't get sad, or scared, or happy. I'm just kinda... numb. And you would think that that would be a fair price to pay to never have to worry about the other guy killing innocent people ever again, but... I want it off. I want to feel _alive_ again."

He looked the Captain dead in the eye, and the two of them shared a moment of understanding. Steve knew what Bruce was getting at, and he nodded in acquiescence to the idea. That sometimes, the things we think or feel are... selfish. And that that was normal, and completely human. Bruce was letting him know that he didn't think any less of Steve for feeling hurt by Anne's happiness, without making Steve actually have to talk about it.

"Thanks Bruce. We're glad to have you back." With those words, the Captain was gone. Bruce settled back into the cot that was, ironically, not nearly as comfortable as the one he had been given in his cell in Loki's dungeons.

Tomorrow would be... an interesting day.


	15. Loki's Weapon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki faces off against Doctor Doom in an effort to rescue Anne from his clutches. But when the Avengers burst in on the scene, will they do more harm than good? And where does Bruce stand in all of this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OHGOSH okay Im sorry this took so long but life got really really weird and stressful for me. And also this was hella hard to write omg. I hope it came out okay. I really wanted a classic chatty villain scene, and I think I got it down okay. One more chapter after this to wrap things up and then an epilogue! 
> 
> Let me know what you think! <3

Anne looked out through the glass of the small compartment. Flexed her fingers to reassure herself that the circulation had not been cut off by the too tight for comfort shackles keeping her back pressed against the wall behind her. The compartment was cylindrical, and about the height of an average person. It was connected by an intricate network of tubes and wires to the strangest looking machine she had ever seen.

Her eyes followed the streams of data that whirled around the thing. She had never seen data like this. It felt odd, malignant in some way. It was all _wrong_ , the technology amplified and altered by magical fields that shaped it and manipulated it. She would loved to have studied this amalgamation of mechanical and magical energy, but she was held fast by the cuffs keeping her in place. With some amount of curiosity she peered at the intricate network from which the magical current emanated. What was this thing?

"Don't worry now, Anne." Dooms voice brought her back to the present, snapping her out of her thoughts as she watched the masked figure on the other side of the glass.  "Yours is not the life force I am after. Perhaps, if your precious _Master_ is quick enough to rescue you, I will keep you around after I am finished with _him_." She gritted her teeth and made no reply. She was done talking to the man. He seemed to pay it no mind, enjoying the sound of his own voice more than anything else.

"How long do you think it will take him to get here? I imagine he is quite concerned by now..." The masked face leaned in close to hers, only the glass between them. "Or, perhaps I have _overestimated_ how much he cares for you. Perhaps _he wont come at all_."  
That got a reaction from her. Her eyes narrowed as she stared him down, fury painted across her face. " _He'll come_. But I guarantee it _wont_ be the party you're imagining."  
The chuckle that met her ears was menacing and cold. The metallic sound reverberated across the room, muffled by the glass. " _We'll see."_ He said simply, before turning away from her to move to the other end of the giant machinery that seemed to take up the entire room. She pulled against the chains on her wrists again, full knowing it was a futile gesture.  
Then she waited.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

When Loki walked into the room, it was with long and purposeful strides. His mind was a whirlwind of anger and rage, though it was carefully contained behind an even expression. Simmering below the surface, a glint in his eyes. Doom's actions were beyond the pale of what his patience might have endured. The attempt at being overthrown... _that_ he had expected, though perhaps not quite so soon. An oversight on his part. But to use his personal slave as the bait for his trap, that was a step farther than Loki was willing to overlook.

Not of course that he blamed the man for that. Loki had known since the moment that her pleas had made him change his mind concerning the fate of the Avengers that she had become... a liability. Anyone for whom he had such strong feelings would be, certainly. And there was no one in the entirety of the Nine Realms that he loved more than her, though it had not originally been his plan to allow that to be the case.  
Still, it was an unforgivable offense, one he had no intention of letting go. Stepping into the room, his eyes immediately took in the vast expanse of mechanical engineering. So _this_ was the machine he had heard tell of. It was impressive in size, with all manor of strange dials and apparatus. Primitive by Asgard's standards still, but as it was magically fused it was a step further from Midgard's usual drabble. His teeth clenched as he breathed in the magic that permeated the room. It was a sinister sort of energy, a form of magic even he did not dabble in except with great need.

There was something inherently offensive to him, even without the kidnapping of his personal slave, that citizens who _belonged to him_ had been put through this abomination in order to enhance Doom's magical forces. It was a kind of neglect and misuse of power that he found left a hideously bad taste in his mouth. What was a kingdom, after all, without a people to rule over? It defied the very nature of kingship to harm ones own subjects. Like a child throwing a tantrum and destroying their own toys.  
His eyes searched the room, uninterested now in the mechanical beast that filled it. Two figures on either sides of the thing caught his immediate attention. First was Victor, standing on a balcony overlooking the room just above the machine. Connected to it via wires, and standing near what appeared to be the control panel. And all the way at the other side, on the bottom, strapped into a glass tube, was Anne.

He felt rage swell through him at the sight of her. She was unconscious, her head resting to one side on her shoulder. As he took in her predicament, his eyes were also drawn to a second glass cage hovering just above. A clearly laid trap. There was no attempt to even disguise it. So that was Doom's plan.

"Ah, _my King_. So you _did_ manage to make it." His attention moved back again to Victor, a low growl in his throat. He strode into the room from where he stood in the doorway, his armor gleaming wickedly as he moved. Doctor Doom watched him as he came, his head tilted slightly, an amused look in his eyes. "Aren't you going to try to convince me to _release her?"_

A cruel smirk formed on the god's lips as he moved into the center of the room, eyes locked with his opponents. " _Oh_ , no. I have absolutely _no_ intention of bargaining with you, Victor."  
His staff clinked against the ground as he walked, each step calculated. "I have _every_ intention of looking you in the eye at your last moment, as I _slowly_ and _intimately_ take your life from you."  
As he looked over the room his lips curled in a sneer. "And I am going to _start_ by destroying this _damned creation of yours."_ At his words his staff went forward in his hand, sending a bolt of energy at the machine, a loud crash and an explosion the result. But as the smoke cleared he could hear Doom's laughter, joyless and sinister. Not a dent had been made.

"Oh Loki, you underestimate me. I have grown _much_ stronger since you last saw me. My force fields will not be able to be overcome by mere force of _will_. They are an ingenious mixture of arcane forces and physical, and I doubt very much if you have the physical strength required to overcome them. Well, you might be much stronger than any _Midgardian_ , I'm sure, but _still_... perhaps if you could wield a certain _magic hammer..."_ His mocking words hit Loki's ears as he paced around the machine, eyes seeking out the fields of magic to ascertain where to strike.

Another blast sent into the machine, crashing against the field that protected it. Loki grit his teeth in frustration, refusing to answer Doom's words.  
"But don't worry, Loki. _I_ am not protected by such a field. You may come after me at your leisure. Of course..." Suddenly the machine was lighting up, loud sounds as gears began turning.  " _She_ is not protected by a field either, and she might need your help a little more.... _swiftly_."  
At those words Doom flipped a large lever, and Loki's eyes were immediately drawn to where Anne was trapped within the cylinder. She cried out, still unconscious as the panel below her lit up.

"Better hurry... It wont take the machine long to draw all of her life from her." Doom laughed a heartless laugh as he strapped himself into the thing, wires disappearing under his mask and armor. Loki was forced to consider his options... waste time fighting Doom, during which time the machine might kill Anne, or go after her to rescue her. In which case, there was an obviously laid trap awaiting him, clearly intended to make him the machines target instead.

And as he was pondering this, the ceiling burst open with a blast, and a familiar red and gold figure flew into the room.

 

* * *

 

 

Bruce followed after the rest of the Avengers when they burst into the complex. At first they had been reluctant to bring him along as he was, unable to become the Hulk, and unfortunately weak outside of that transformation. He convinced them otherwise by pointing out that regardless of not being able to transform, he was still unable to be permanently harmed. Besides, the Hulk wasn't his only asset. He could study the machine and possibly advise them on how best to dismantle it.  
The sight that met his eyes when Iron Man blasted his way in made his heart drop.

Black Widow and Hawkeye were the next to go in after Iron Man, expertly dropping through the hole in the ceiling on ropes. Then it was the Captain, who helped him down as he went. The room soon felt crowded as people filed into it. Iron Man and Captain America lost no time in the attack. The metallic figure of Tony Stark zipped through the room around the machine and blasted at it, no questions asked, but Bruce was not surprised when it did nothing to dent what had to be an invisible barrier. Captain America's shield, meanwhile, was immediately loosed at Loki himself.

Doom was the only one in the room who bothered with talking.  
"Ahh your friends have arrived. Well, the more the merrier!" The machine whirred and hummed as it went, and Loki looked more enraged then Bruce had ever seen him before. He turned like a wild animal to catch Steve's shield, throwing it back at the man with a strength that had previously been in reserve. It thudded into Steve's chest and sent the man backwards, digging his heels into the floor to keep from falling over.

Hawkeye was after Doom. His arrows were loosed in the mad man's direction, but Doom met his attacks with electrical spikes from the fingers of his armored suit. The two of them were moving in tandem, tossing attacks back and forth. But Doom never strayed far from the machine that he was connected to, and Bruce closed his eyes, praying for Natasha to try to get close to him.

As the fighting around him escalated, Bruce's eyes roamed the machine, taking in the gears and the wires and the cords that held the mechanisms together. He saw Anne, trapped and unconscious in the tube that served as the source for the machine to draw life force from a victim. He followed the cords from her through the machine to Doom, the recipient. His mind worked quickly. Maybe if he could figure out how it was working, he could figure out how to stop it. But, someone would still need to break the barrier.

As if on cue, he heard Tony's voice in is headpiece.  
"Bruce, I can't get past... whatever field Doom's got around this thing. What do I do?" The Iron Man had been levying blasts at the thing, lighting the room up like a Christmas tree, but it was all coming to nothing. Bruce shook his head. Magic was not his field of expertise.  
"I don't.. _I don't know_... I don't know enough about Doom's tech. It's probably magically enhanced... or it could be _completely_ magical. I don't know."

 _"ENOUGH!"_ The voice rang out through the room and all eyes were on Loki, who suddenly threw his shoulders back and whirled around to catch a daggered blow from Widow.  
Gripping her wrist, he tossed her aside like a ragdoll, his skin changing and an icy chill hitting the room. He was changing, his flesh turning blue and his eyes red, his stature growing some as he walked pointedly towards Captain America.  
_"I do not have time for you!"_ A hand went out towards the Captain, ice flying from his fingertips as he went, throwing Steve back and pinning him against the wall. He made quick work of turning to similarly incapacitate Black Widow against the floor. As Clint noticed the turn things were taking for his fellows, he abandoned the fight with Doom to come to their aid.

Loki did not even look at him as he caught the trick arrow the Hawk sent flying in his direction before he tossed it back with a snarl. Clint only barely managed to jump out the way before it exploded as timed. As he rolled to his feet Loki's ice encased him as well. Before Bruce could say a word, Loki's eyes met his and he was now also pinned against a wall. Satisfied that the distractions were dealt with, Loki turned to the cylinder that held Anne. She was gasping and writhing in the thing, and Doom was laughing as he thoughroughly enjoyed watching the show before him.

Bruce looked to the cylinder. Above it hovered a slightly larger one... and it was rigged to come down, triggered by the opening of the door. In an instant he knew what Doom's plan was... as his eyes moved across the machine once more, he also knew how to stop it. _"LOKI!"_ At the sound of his voice, the man paused, a grim expression on his face. Bruce pressed forward, earnest concern in his voice. _"Anne is a trap!"_

Through clenched teeth the god spoke, eyes flashing as he looked at the man he once held captive.  
_"I can see it."_ He said simply, and then moved as though to go for the cylinder regardless. Bruce struggled to move, his limbs frozen in ice.  
"I have an idea! I've been studying that machine... " Loki's expression was a very clear 'hurry up' of impatience. " _Let me down_. Get this thing off my neck. You go after Anne and _I'll take care of the machine."_

Loki frowned for a moment as he looked the man over. "The barrier is arcane in nature. You will not be able to overcome it with brute strength alone."  
Bruce nodded. He had guessed as much. "Not without you to _amplify_ me."  
Loki's brows shot up as he considered what the man was proposing. Bruce cleared his throat as he regarded him seriously. "You asked me recently what I wanted to _be_ in relation to you. _Let me be your weapon."_  
The second that passed between them seemed to last for an eternity as Loki pondered his words. Then his expression steeled, his eyes burned as he seemed to make up his mind. No words were spoken as he put a hand out and roughly ripped Bruce from the ice. Shards of blue clattered around them as he breathed a few words in an ancient language, and just as roughly tore the collar from Bruce's neck. It fell to the floor with a loud crash.

Bruce felt a wave of intense emotion rush through him. It was just as the last time Loki had taken him out to unleash the beast. The sudden intensity of every feeling that had been held at bay since the last time came screaming through his veins, red filling his vision as rage and anger and fear and adrenaline overtook him. But he steeled himself. The last times, he had let the Hulk take over completely, had not attempted to resist the creatures menace. But this time... this time he wrestled with it to take control. He felt his mind _bending_ with it, as conscious thought left him and instincts took over. His intelligence was replaced with rage, with strength, with power and force.

The Hulk stood, large and powerful, and banged his chest with his fist to feel the strength he had been denied for so long. He screamed, a loud guttural cry of animalistic rage. Then his vision focused as he looked down at the god who had unleashed him. There was something he was supposed to do...  
" _You._ Save girl. Hulk _smash!"_

Yes. He was supposed to smash. The machine. That was it. He turned towards it, barely registering the cry of surprise and dismay from the man who was operating it. He lifted his fist and swiftly brought it down.... on what? There was something between him at the machine! That made him angry. In a blind rage he started pounding on it, frustration building until... he felt something different. There was something _more_ in him now, more than simply physical. It permeated him, ran through his arms and his fists. It confused him, so he didn't think about it. The next time he brought his fists down, he crashed through whatever invisible shield was protecting the machine. Then he moved to the machine itself.

Bruce's mind was still there, gently trying to nudge him. The Hulk didn't _just_ need to smash right now... Bruce wanted him to do something more specific than that. But what? Then he felt another presence, a calming guiding force that caused his mind to still and calm. It showed him his next target, helped him to focus. Yes. That was it. He found the thing that the scientist wanted him to find. He ripped it from where it sat, cords snapping as he did so. Then he _reversed_ it. He threw it with all the strength that he possessed, and it crashed into something else. He didn't know what it was, but he didn't have to. The scientist knew, all he had to do was be the force the scientist needed. When the machine was smoking and falling to pieces, he knew somehow he had done everything he needed to. His mind felt strangely... peaceful wasn't the word. But the rage was more focused than it had ever been before. More purposeful, and that was a kind of peace for him.

Then his eyes moved to the masked man. He was screaming, writhing in the wires that connected him to the now destroyed machine. Hulk growled in anger. He instinctively knew that this was someone to _smash_. His footsteps made the ground shake as he ran to him, before suddenly, he was halted by a voice.  
"STOP!" It was a commanding voice, and he somehow felt like it should be obeyed, which felt... like a _relief_. A relief, to have a guide. Yes, a _guide._ Tell him what to _smash_.  
_"Leave him for me._ You have _done_  your part."

Done? Yes. _Done._  
He closed his eyes and allowed the strange feeling of peace to overwhelm him as it grew stronger. Yes, peaceful... no more need for rage. He felt himself coming more to himself, his mind grew as his strength diminished. _Bruce..._ Bruce was coming back.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

When the Hulk burst into full form, clothes tattered and in shreds, Loki made at once for Anne. Uncaring of the trap that had been laid he smashed through the glass, ice spreading from his hands as he went. As he strode into the cage to rip the shackles off of his slave, the second cylinder came down,  trapping him into the area with her. He paid it no mind, as Anne's prone form fell into his arms, he pulled her away from the wall and caught her in his embrace.

He could feel his life being sapped almost immediately, the machine still working on its victims. Victors laughter filled his ears. Then he looked out to the Hulk, banging away at the force field, and he knew what he had to do. Reaching out an icy hand, clutching Anne close to his chest with the other, he began to _weave._  
Words in a foreign tongue fell off his lips, and he _amplified_. He imbued the Hulks body with his magic, _strengthened_ it with his will. He watched and he knew it was working, knew that the magic that was beginning to flow through the beasts blood was going to be the combination needed to destroy Doom's shield. And it did.

The Hulk smashed through it like it was glass, shattering the defenses. He heard Doom cry out in anger and surprise as he did so, and he smirked slightly. His job was not yet done. Focusing his will on the beast, he guided him. And this time... this time it was _receptive_ to his guidance. He helped to provide the Hulk with a focal point, to tune its rage into a maneuverable weapon. It had never been so easy to do before, and that could only mean one thing. _This time_ , Bruce was working _with_ him, instead of fighting against him.

When the Hulk smashed through the machine and managed to reverse the flow of the energies, his grin widened. So, Bruce had come through after all. This was far better than he had hoped. He felt a sudden rush of power as the machine began to siphon energy and power from Doctor Doom, and the flow of it rushed into Loki's veins. His head flew back as he felt himself amplified beyond belief. He did not even notice the yell of pure feral power as energy released from him and broke through the cage around him, crashing debris falling here and there.

As he caught his breath he looked up at the Hulk, now moving towards the source of all of this turmoil. Victor von Doom.  
"STOP!" He felt empowered as he strode forward, carefully laying Anne down on the ground and letting ice surround her to shield her from anything else to come. " _Leave him for me._ You have _done_ your part." In the past, it had always been difficult to spell the Hulk back into his human form. The Hulk had always resisted his influence. But this time, whether because of his newly amplified power, or because he was no longer fighting him, the beast was easily lulled into submission. He watched as the Hulk closed his eyes and slowly began to shrink, until he was once again Bruce Banner, gasping and clutching at his head. Interestingly, he did not loose consciousness this time, as he generally did after the transformation. His eyes watched Loki, but he did not move from where he knelt.

Doom was in the rafters, barely conscious. Feebly he ripped the wires from himself, gasping for breath and shaking like a leaf. Ice surrounded Loki's feet as he raised himself up off the ground and to Doom's level, approaching him with a calm expression that only spelled disaster. As Doom saw him approach he cried out in fear and attempted to crawl away, but Loki caught him by the back of his neck. In a second he had thrown him to the ground, following after him as ice spread through the room, engulfing everything in its path.

When he reached him again, the man was almost unconscious. Reaching down, he ripped his mask off of him, freezing his armor until it crumbled around his frail form. The man's skin beneath the mask and armor was scarred and disfigured, and he raised his hands to his face to block anyone from seeing him. Loki ignored the gesture, and gripped him by the throat, bringing him to his knees before him.  
" _Oh no,_ you are not to die quite yet." He felt power surge through him as he brought Doom back from the brink of death, giving him just enough life to keep him conscious. Pulling him to his feet he turned him around and pressed a knife to his throat, his lips inches from his ear.

" _Beg me_ for your life, Victor. Beg me to spare your _pathetic existence_." He gripped him tightly, words whispered into the man's ear. Doom shuddered in his grasp and a whimper escaped from him as he drew in panicked breath after panicked breath.  
"Please... My King, _my Master_... please spare me.." the words tumbled from him though he hated himself for it. His body was in ruins, all magic he had ever possessed had been drawn from him.

"Why should I, Victor? Make me an offer." His voice was sweet and compelling. He was always the most dangerous when his tone did not match the setting. Victor swallowed and bit back his rage. "Please... I'll...I'll do anything.. _anything_ you want..."

" _Anything?_ That isn't very specific. Come now, you can do _better_ than that. Offer me servitude. Loyalty. _Degradation."_ Victor listened to his words and quivered, his mind racing to find the right offer to please this vengeful god. "I... I'll be your willing slave... I'll do anything you ask... I'll crawl on the ground and lick your boots... I'll eat the dirt you walked on, _please..._ please spare me.." As Loki listened a scoff came from his lips, as the irony struck him. Using words that on Anne's lips would be glorious, the most exalted honor he could bestow upon her, but from Victor's they were a poison, a curse, the most wretched punishment he could drudge up.

"Keep talking Victor. _Paint a picture for me_. Offer to suck my cock." The knife pressed closer to the mans skin, beginning now to draw blood. Victor cried out in pain, his entire body shaking from the strain of staying upright. "Yes... _yes anything..._ I'll... I'll be your whore, I'll suck your cock... _for as long as you want_ , I'll... I'll be.. I'll be..." he ground his teeth at the filthy words leaving his mouth. _"I'll be nothing but a cumdumpster_ , your personal toy to use... please..."

Loki was impressed. Such filth would not even leave Anne's lips without specific prompting. He smiled sweetly and spun the man around, raising his chin to look him in the eye.  
" _Once more_. Beg me _one more time_ to spare your _miserable mortal life_." He could see the fear in the man's eyes, but also the _hope_. The hope that with enough begging and enough humiliation, he might be allowed to continue to live.  
"Please...Master... _spare me..."_

Loki leaned in close to him, looking him right in the eye as he smiled, his lips grinning with an expression of soothing understanding.

" _No."_

And then with one fell motion, he slit the man's throat. Doom crumpled, dead, at his feet, and he tossed the body aside with disgust. He brushed his armor off where the man had touched him, scowling down at the lifeless form. Closing his eyes he took in a deep breath, allowing his blood flow to settle as he calmed down.

He turned to survey the Avengers, still encased in ice, though it was steadily beginning to give way to their efforts to free themselves. As he calmed himself his body returned to its regular hue, ice beginning to recede from the room, warmth flowing through him. He moved over to where Bruce still knelt, having watched the entire ordeal, and stood over him imposingly, his expression neutral.

"Do I need to lock you up again, or do I have your loyalty?" His tone of voice was as authoritative as Bruce had ever heard it. The scientist slowly lifted his gaze to lock eyes with the deity before him. There was a moments pause before he finally began, hesitantly, to speak.  
"I don't... know... what kind of protocols are expected of me here." He took a deep breath. "But I will serve you, willingly."

A wide grin spread across the gods features as he reached out to help the man to his feet. As Bruce clasped his hand, he stumbled forward, still weakened from the transformation.  
_"That,"_ he said with a tired chuckle, "Is an _excellent_ start, Doctor."

He then stooped towards Anne, breaking the ice around her easily to sweep her up into his arms. As Iron Man finally managed to burst free from his own ice encasement, he watched the suited figure raise a palm in his direction. In the rubble, he looked almost comical.  
"Loki! Surrender, or I swear I will blast your face open."

The smirk on the gods lips was confident, if fatigued. He had never attempted to teleport more than one person before, and generally he had to be touching them. But he could feel new power coursing through him, and he knew that it would be within his abilities.

 _"I think not."_  
With a wave of his hand, the three of them blinked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you thought some of this was very Princess Bride, yes! I was totally trying to channel some key moments from there muahaha.


	16. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne is back home with Loki, and the two of them must reconnect, making their bond even stronger than ever before. Loki has a lot of work to do now, both with the Council and with Anne. It will require a strict and disciplinary hand, and a tender embrace, to set everything back on track.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy this last smut scene to wrap everything up, I had fun with it! I wanted Loki to be strict, but still tender, and I think I got that across.  
> There will be a short epilogue as well, just like last time. Please let me know what you thought!

The Council of Alfheim was reconvened. The place around him looked as though he had never left it. The same people sat in their council seats, and he stood dressed in the same regalia as before. It was as though they had merely taken a short break before coming back to the meeting at hand, rather than several days pause. The only difference in his own entourage was Anne. She stood beside him, close at hand, dressed in one of the most resplendent gowns he liked to dress her in, one reserved for formal occasions. She held her head high, swelling with pride to be beside him in what would inevitably a moment of triumph for him.  
Amora regarded her with a sneer of dislike whenever their eyes met, but for the most part the two women ignored each other. The Asgardian preferred to keep her own attention on Thor, who stayed near to her like a trained lap dog. The change in the thunder god was unsettling to Anne, but she knew it was crucial to Loki's plans, so she did her best to pay the pair of them no mind. She was, however, overcome with pride that Bruce now stood at Loki's side as well, and this time he was not drugged or chained. He wore a simpler collar, like hers, one devoid of spells to keep him docile. It was now purely symbolic.

The man was wearing Loki's colours and seemed calmer... more accepting of the world around him. Gone where the fidgety movements that betrayed lingering anxiety and a battle of will. He was willingly standing with them, something she had not been certain would ever take place, but it gave her _hope_. Hope that perhaps someday the rest of the Avengers could come to serve her Master as well.

She watched as the head Council member approached the dais, and Loki strode forward to meet him. The man looked crestfallen, nervous, and subdued. He walked slowly, as though trying to stave off the inevitable. When he reached them, he cleared his throat and addressed the deity before him with a tone of serious formality.

"The Council of Alfheim has come to a decision regarding your... _proposal._ The vote came in favour of surrender.." His eyes narrowed and he scoffed, a perturbed scowl on his lips, "... not a decision I _personally_ endorsed... but we will surrender." As Loki's face began to break into a grin, the man hastened to add, "On the _condition_ of course that the hostages be released, and _no further violence_ be visited upon the people of this Realm."

Loki nodded in understanding, gesturing to his guards to bring the prisoners forward. Ice giants pushed the captive elves towards the two, their shackles breaking from the ice that poured from their hands as they gripped them. "But of course... it was never my intention to visit harm upon your Realm, and the hostages have been well treated." The elves rubbed their wrists as they made their way away from Loki and towards the Council. Loki watched them go with an air of satisfaction before he turned to the rest of the Council members.  
  
"You have chosen wisely. And because you have done so, you will not be subjected to my wrath." He moved around the dais, looking pointedly at everyone present as he did. "Life for the people of Alfheim need not change drastically. Your Council will still be allowed to govern, under the understanding that my word is law and I have final veto power over _every decision made_. There will be a monthly tax paid to my crown as well. I know your people know little of the arts of warfare...." he chuckled as he surveyed the old men who made up the Council. The elves of Alfheim were not known for their battle prowess. "...But I will be taking a quota of able bodied men and women from every province to be trained for my armies."

He made a grand gesture with his arms, taking a bow with a smug expression on his face.  
"And life will continue on as it ever did. Of course I'm sure I need not express just how _badly_ things will go for you if any of you decides to try to _challenge my power_..." He trailed off and looked the Council leader in the eye. The older man shifted nervously and shook his head.  
"No.... _My King_. We have surrendered. We will not... attempt anything... _foolish."_ The elven leader clearly did not seem happy by the words he spoke, a sad tone lacing each syllable, but he did not seem insincere. Loki nodded graciously and motioned him towards a pedestal upon which rested a large scroll.

"Then, my good man, let us _seal_ the deal."

 

 

* * *

 

 

  
The day before, Anne had woken to find herself in Loki's bed, once again in Alfheim. She felt strangely invigorated, but she had no memory of what had transpired since... Doom.  
She gasped as she remembered the machine, the apparatus she had been locked into, the malicious image of the masked face peering at her through the glass... _What had knocked her out?_ She wasn't sure. The last thing she remembered was her eyes becoming heavy and her breathing slowing before.... nothing. And then she was here.

As she sat up in the bed, she heard the door open, and her heart leapt for joy at the figure who walked across the room towards her. It was Loki. She felt tears of joy and relief welling up in her eyes before she brushed them aside. "Ma..Master..." She breathed as he came to sit next to her on the bed, a glass of water in hand.  
"How are you feeling pet?" he asked with a soft smile as he passed her the glass, which she took from him gratefully. After she had downed half of it she set it aside on the nightstand. There was a pause, a moment that passed as the two simply took each other in before she launched herself at him, arms spread to wrap around him, burying her face in his chest. His leathers were not exactly comfortable to snuggle, but she did not mind.

"I'm.. I'm fine Master... _thank you..._ " Her words were whispered through his limbs as he caught her up in his arms and kissed her on the top of her head. A breath of relief left him before he spoke again.  
"I am glad... I apologize my pet, I should have been there sooner." He could not help but feeling it had been his fault she had been put in danger. He had not taken her with him to the Council meeting as he had wanted, as her position should have dictated. He had not wanted to make her spend any more time around Amora then was necessary, and he had been worried about how she might react to seeing a mind controlled Thor and a chained Bruce. Those seemed like silly reasonings in retrospect.

She shook her head as she clung to him, then pulling back from him to shyly meet his gaze.  
"Where you afraid?" His voice was softer than usual, filled with a concern and compassion that rarely surfaced. She nodded slightly, a look of embarrassment on her face as she admitted, "...At times.."

He quirked a brow at her, a slight tinge of an amused smile tugging at the corners of his lips.  
"Only at _times?"_ the inquiry made her blush, as her eyes rested on the sheets of the bed between them.  
"I...I knew you would come for me Master. So I didn't have to be afraid. And... when I did get scared... it just made me _angry_..." She struggled to express how she had felt, how her mind had changed from fear to being at peace the more she thought of him.

"Angry? _Why?"_ He watched her intently, moving an arm around her to soothingly run along her shoulder. Her naked flesh was soft to the touch, and he relished the opportunity to gently caress it. She frowned in some confusion as she looked up at him, and as her eyes met his he thought suddenly that it was the most innocent and earnest she had ever appeared.

"Because... my fear, my vulnerability, belongs to _you,_ Master. Only _you_ should be able to make me feel afraid like that." Her words were so matter of fact that he breathed a breath of amazement, momentarily taken aback. Then he gathered her in his arms and drew her very suddenly close to him, letting his lips press against hers. Their lips moved against each others in an intimate embrace before he withdrew again, looking down at her with a wide smile.  
"Oh my pet... you continually surprise me. You make me fall for you more and more each time you say something like that."

It was a gloriously beautiful concept, and not one he had ever specifically taught her. But she was learning his ways on her own and trying to put them to practise within the hardest of situations. Yes... she was worth _all_ the trouble.

A contented sigh passed his lips as he rested his chin upon her head for a few moments. As they sat like that, wrapped up in each other she felt herself relax with him, sink into him, and breath him. And it felt like _home._  
Her skin bristled and a sinking feeling of guilt overcame her, however, when next he spoke.  
"Where you a _good girl_ while you were away from me?" His voice was contented and teasing, but she knew it wouldn't be if she confessed to what she had done. Still... she could not lie to him when asked a question at point blank like that. The fact that he clearly did not expect there to be an issue only made it worse. She shifted slightly, a flush rising on her cheeks as she nervously looked away from him.

"I....umm..." She lost her nerve and stopped, her body now quivering with the anticipation of his reaction. He frowned as he watched her, and she felt his finger crook underneath her chin to direct her gaze back to him.  
"Is there something you need to tell me, pet?" his tone, as she feared, was no longer so relaxed. Instead it had turned serious and foreboding, and she swallowed anxiously before steeling herself for his wrath. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and spoke again.

"I... I masturbated and I came, without your permission while I was locked up... I.. _I'm so sorry_ Master..." She lowered her gaze once again to the bed sheets, shifting her position into a kneel so she could bow her head. She knew full well that what she had done was a serious offence, had known even while doing it, and the shame of her disobedience rose up on her cheeks.

He was silent for a moment as he watched her change in body language, before he straightened himself where he sat so he was towering over her kneeling form.  
"I see... should I give my pet a chance to _explain_ herself, do you think?" His voice was calm and controlled, a clipped tone that she knew by now meant no nonsense. At the prompting she hastened to give an explanation for her actions.

"I.. I'm sorry I'm _so sorry_ Master.. I needed you.. _I wanted you_ so badly... I.. I was _thinking_ of you the whole time Master..." That was the truth, and she screwed her eyes shut as she waited for his judgment. She knew it was not a good enough excuse. But it was something.  
"Really?" His words cut through her thoughts, an almost playful yet dangerous sound to the words as he spoke. His lips curled in a seemingly disinterested frown. "And yet, you did not call out my _name_ while you did so..." She gulped and nodded helplessly. She had stopped herself from doing so in an effort for him not to find out.

"That is _two_ rules that you have broken. _Tell me_ , pet... what should I do about your misbehaviour?" The silence that lingered in the room was deafening, and she squirmed where she sat, her mind racing through possible responses. But in the end, she knew there was only one acceptable response. And as her lips parted to speak, she realised that it was not just the response _he_ wanted... but the one that _she_ wanted, as well.

"Please... _punish_ me for my actions, Master." She spoke without raising her head, but the words served to calm her nerves. It was all okay, it would all be okay. Loki still loved her, and even if he was disappointed in her right now, she could earn his forgiveness. His discipline would set everything to rights, and she did not have to be afraid.  
He placed a hand on her head and she heard a whimper leave her throat. "I will my dear. You can _count_ on it. The only thing to decide upon is _what_ I shall do with you..."

He tilted his head to the side and she felt her cheeks grow hot as he watched her carefully. She felt him shift on the bed some before he tapped her cheek gently. As she looked up at him she watched him motion with his hand off the bed. "Stand up."  
She obeyed his command as gracefully as she could, her body shaking with anticipation. What would he do? Spank her? Her mind filled with possibilities, each one as  terrifying as it was exciting. Then he stood, his hand reached out to grip her shoulder, and she felt the disorienting spin of the world around her as they teleported. As reality rearranged itself, she took a deep breath and blinked her eyes to adjust. They were standing in what Loki lovingly referred to as "The Play Room".

He stood behind her, directing her gaze out into the room filled with all sorts of creative ways to torment her. She had only been here once before, and she had hoped to return to it, though perhaps for a happier purpose.  
"Your orgasms belong to _me_ , pet. Do you understand?" His lips were inches from her ear, and her skin shivered at the feel of his breath. "I _love_ to see you come undone before me, to see you wholly taken over by pleasure. _Each one_ is a precious gem to me, an _intimate_ moment in your life that _I desire to be a part of_. _That is why_ they are _mine_ to deal out or withhold as I see fit. Essentially, _you have stolen something from me_. Do you _understand_ why this is such a serious offense?"

She gulped and nodded her head slowly. She felt slight tears prick at her eyes as he spoke. It was beautiful, how much he loved her pleasure. It made her feel special and important, and all the more guilty that she had not respected his wishes.  
"Now... " he began to speak again, a fingers gently running through her hair. "In _this_ instance, there were _extenuating circumstances_... and, you _did_ confess to me of your own volition, without me having to find out on my own. Which, _believe me_ pet, I would have. Because of this, I am inclined to be more lenient than I might otherwise have been." He motioned with one hand towards a drawer. It was the same one she had seen him open last time they had been here.  
"So I will let _you_ choose the implement of your punishment." His hand swatted her behind and pushed her in the direction of the drawer. Her eyes widened at that, nervously looking towards it, unsure of herself. _Me, pick...? I.. I cant..._

"But _whatever_ you choose, pet, you will _not_ be allowed to cum tonight. _Is that understood?"_  
She turned her head to look back at him, her eyes still wide with uncertainly. She nodded with a gulp.  
"It really is _quite_ a shame..." he sighed as he watched her, "I was _so_ looking forward to making you writhe in ecstasy tonight. But, if I must deprive myself in order to teach you a lesson, then so be it. Go on, then." As he leaned against the wall behind him, hands crossed over his chest, she numbly put one foot in front of the other, making her way to the drawer. When she opened it, her eyes were met with a wide assortment of various devices. She held back a gasp of fright at the array, eyes falling upon object after object, some she was already intimately familiar with, and other more sadistic looking tools that she could only guess the purpose of. She knew right away that she would not be choosing one of _those._

She considered the bullwhip, the flogger... perhaps he would be pleased if she asked him to please try out the cane on her ass, something she had not yet experienced. But as her face flushed at the very idea, she realised she did not have the courage to herself choose something that she knew would cause more pain than she had yet endured. Did not have the bravery to go for something she was already afraid of, even if a secret part of her (or, _not_ so secret, where Loki was concerned...) desperately wanted to know what it was like.

There were also various toys meant to give pleasure, and she knew them well enough by now as well. But she dismissed the idea of selecting one of those. She knew full well that pleasure could be just as tormentative as pain, just as pain could be just as enjoyable as pleasure. Instead, her eyes settled on an innocuous looking candlestick. It was such an _innocent_ object, sitting there amongst the other devices, that she thought perhaps it had been misplaced somehow. It was, perhaps, a bit of a cop-out, to choose something that she couldn't imagine could be terribly cruel.... but he _did_ say he was being lenient with her by letting her choose her own punishment.

With a lump of anxiety in her throat she turned to face him again, and padded back across the room to where he stood. He smiled sweetly as he eyed the chosen object in her hand, his lips breaking into a wide grin. A twinkle in his eye, as though he knew something she did not.  
" _That_ one? Are you certain, pet?" The warning tone in his voice made her second guess herself. Her eyes widened for a moment before she resolutely nodded her head. No, she would not take back the decision.

"Very well. Give it to me." At his command her hand reached out to pass the candle to him. As he took it from her hand into his own he placed a hand on the small of her back, drawing her in near to him. She trembled in his arms, knowing that his nearness was simultaneously the most dangerous and the most safe place she could be right now.  
" _Thank me_ for letting you choose, pet. It is not a privilege that will often be repeated." His voice was soft, so soft she had to strain to hear it. She nodded eagerly, bowing her head before him. _"Thank you Master."_

As she spoke the room spun again, and before she knew what was happening, they were again in the bedroom. He steered her away from the bed however, and towards a small couch in the corner of the room, where he sat her down on the arm of the seat. Almost immediately upon sitting she felt ropes begin to wind around her at a wave of his hand, and soon he was paying her little mind as he went to the desk. The ropes continued to pull her this way and that, and she willingly allowed them to position her as he dictated. By the time he had returned to the couch, a book in hand, she was tied to the arm of the seat in a posture that made her face red with embarrassment.

Her legs were drawn up at her sides, spread wide and leaving her most intimate parts exposed and vulnerable. Her arms were firmly behind her back, wrist to opposite elbow. Her back rested against the arm of the seat, which she was leant against, giving him complete access to every single part of her naked body. As he returned he set the book down on a cushion a little ways away from her before he lent forward to press a ball gag to her lips. Her mouth parted compliantly to allow the object entrance, and he slipped it in and tied it around the back of her head with one fluid motion.

Patting her cheek affectionately, his hands then began to trail across her body, making her squirm and whimper as he went. It did not take him long before he was teasing her relentlessly, leaning forward to lick at her folds, his fingers working their magic across her form.  Then his hand came to rest on her navel, and she felt a familiar heat spread from his finger tips. The last time he had done this it had caused an immediate orgasm, but this time it was not so strong. This time it was a low tingle in the core of her, stimulating but not overwhelming. She whimpered, her lips tightening against the gag as she felt it build inside of her.

He chuckled and withdrew from her, and reached to his side to pick up the candle stick. She watched him intently as he moved the base of it to her entrance, and gently but firmly pressed down on it. She was more than wet already from his touches and his spells, and she groaned around the gag as she felt the candle slip inside of her. It filled her and stretched her, like his cock but it was harder and more rigid. Finally he had inserted the base completely into her, until it stood on its own, a good three inches out of her. She swallowed, shifting where she sat as she craned her neck to see what he was doing.

He was silent as he worked, but there was a beautifully sadistic glint in his eye that promised more to come. She wondered briefly what the point of a candle stick as a dildo was exactly, when the drawer had indeed contained actual dildos, but then... then he lit it. Her eyes went wide as he snapped his fingers, a small flame coming to life at the end of the candle. She felt the heat off of it immediately. Her mind raced to understand the entire situation. The candle would burn... until eventually, it would burn out. She groaned out in fear and apprehension as he sat himself down in the seat next to her. He was not near, but he was within an arms reach.

"Your punishment is to act as my candleholder for the evening." He stated in a neutral tone of voice as his hand picked up the discarded book. "I expect you to be still and compliant. You are a part of the furniture now, and I expect you to behave like it." And without so much as another glance in her direction, he opened the book and began to silently read.

She stared at him with a look of shock as he promptly ignored her in favour of the pages in his book. Disbelief was across her face... she had expected him to be rough with her, to hurt her, deal out pain, to mark her with his displeasure, but _this..._ this seemed _much_ more cruel. She squirmed in the ropes, the magic of his spell still stimulating her. She panted and whined where she sat, unable to remain silent as the magic continued to bring her closer to the brink. And the candle, the candle was hot, she could feel its heat as the moments went by. The flame was closer to her with every minute, and he paid her no mind at all. She could see him, watch him, but he was engrossed in the book in his lap, which was only visible thanks to the light from the candle as the darkness deepened with the passing of time.

She was not sure how long was spent like this, pulling against the ropes and squirming from the feeling of vibrations inside of her. The tingle of his magic that built and built on itself, becoming more and more intense. The candle was getting lower, and every now and then a drop of wax would fall frighteningly close to her exposed womanhood. Her groans and whimpers became louder as she desperately tried to get his attention. It wasn't _fair_... she _needed_ him, needed him like air and he was ignoring her...  
As her muffled cries became louder and she felt herself closer and closer to orgasm, he spoke without turning towards her, his attention still very fixed upon the words upon the page before him. "Now, I _know_ that you are _not_ about to cum. We have, after all, already _discussed_ this."  
Then he turned to her slowly, setting the book down beside him as he reached out to the gag in her mouth. Removing it slowly, she felt drool at the corner of her mouth, gasping for breath and groaning at the feel of the heat building within her.

"Who owns your orgasms?" His voice was stern, but patient as he waited for her to collect herself.  
" _You do_ , Master.." she quickly replied, before stifling another gasp as she felt the waves of pleasure within her intensify.  
"Who controls when you get to experience them?" His eyes bored into hers and she bit her lip to keep from screaming as a drop of hot wax singed her skin.  
"You... _you do Master_! AHH!" She whimpered and squirmed, trying desperately to stave off the orgasm.

"So, are you about to cum right now?" His words danced across her mind as she fought to keep herself in control.  
"No..nnooo Ma..master.." she panted, clenching her fists from the effort.  
"And why not?"  
"Because.. you... you haven't given me _permission.._ Master...!" She moaned and turned in the ropes, felt the candle deep inside of her. He smiled and replaced the gag, which she accepted eagerly, whimpers stifled now by the intrusion.

"Good girl. Now please, do try to be _quiet_. I am trying to read, and all those _sexy little noises_ you're making are _quite_ distracting." And with that, he turned back to her book. She wined in protest, desperate for his attention, but he paid her no mind. He spoke again, not deigning to look in her direction as he turned a page, " _Hush_. I only have four more pages before I reach the end of the chapter."

She huffed and closed her eyes, willing herself to be patient. To wait. It was hard, with all of the sensations within her, and the candle was growing steadily hotter and hotter as the flame came closer to her. It was now only an inch away from burning her most sensitive areas, and she couldn't help but whimper in fear. She could feel her own wetness pooling beneath her as it dripped down from her womanhood, and it made her even more excited and filled with lust. Her body was agitated and tingling, as she tried to remain still.  
She peered at him, watching him intently as he read. As he flipped the pages in his book. She counted, desperate for him to finish those four pages. But then, she groaned in dismay as he flipped a fifth page. She whined around the gag in frustration. Of course, he had said he had four chapters till the end of the chapter, but he _hadn't_ said that he would stop reading at the end of the chapter. _Damn him!_

As she watched him, she willed herself to relax. Maybe the candle would burn her. It didn't matter. She knew she had to trust him right now. As she felt wave after wave of building pleasure crash through her she rode it out, letting go of the desire for climax and instead allowing herself to accept the sensations as they were. Finally she felt herself rest into a peaceful, almost trance like state, closing her eyes. This was all on _his_ timing, and she only had to obey. Letting go and accepting her situation was a kind of freedom she hadn't experienced lately, since before Doom had taken her, and she realised she had _needed_ his control, his discipline, to feel whole again.

When he finally turned to her, she was only lowly mewling, her body gently rocking with the flow of the pulses he had set within her. His hand pressed against her navel once more, and the sensations withdrew, a calm sort of satisfaction filling her, though her clit still ached with desire. He moved forward to gently pull the candle from her, just before the flame had been about to reach her.

"There now... Have you had enough, my pet?" His voice was soft and gentle as he stroked her face, and she peered up at him with awe and affection. He smiled gently before he inspected the candle. All that was left of it now was the base which had been buried inside of her.  
"Aahhh... the candle has not even burnt out. Pity.. I would hate to waste it..."  
Her eyes went wide as saucers as he leaned over her, hovering the candle just above her breast, and let a drop of wax fall. The gag muffled her scream as the hot wax burned her skin and she jerked in the ropes. Again he dripped more across her, drop after drop, watching her expressions the entire time as he did. Each one caused her to spasm and cry out, and she felt all the more helpless at the intensity of his gaze upon her.

"Now I know just how much you _enjoy_ pain, my dear... this _hardly_ feels like a punishment, really." As he spoke he dribbled a line of wax around her nipple, creating a beautiful circle.  
"But I was _so concerned for you_... and I am _so relieved_ to get you back safe and sound, that I am disinclined to stay angry with you...." Another drip of the wax, this one hotter than the last ones, and she screamed out through the gag. Each drop made her clit twinge with desire at the same time as pain shot through her skin, and soon she was crooning with that sweet mixture of pain and pleasure that only he could give her.

"So I think I'm just going to _play with you_ for a while... If I can't make you scream out in ecstasy, I will at least make you scream in _pain_. " He leaned up and gently pulled the gag from her mouth, and she gasped to pull in a breath. "Every time you feel like screaming my dear, I want to hear my name on your lips. But remember... _no cumming."_ She nodded quickly, closing her eyes tight as she anticipated the next drop of hot wax. It was a burning sensation, a glorious feeling of heat and searing pain, and she loved it as much as she was afraid of it. The next drop came down upon the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, and she bucked in the ropes and through her head back.

 _"LOKII!"_ she howled, feeling tears pool at the corners of her eyes. She felt deliciously content here, grateful to be under his control again. As she pulled at the ropes they felt secure, and that security made her feel safe. She wanted him to hurt her, to allow her to reconnect to him in a way that proved his rough treatment and the pain he dealt was inherently different from that of Doom. And it was. Each time she cried out, he watched her with such an intimate fixation, and she knew that each sensation she felt was because he loved her.  
"LOOKI!" She gasped out his name as the drops fell upon her thighs, each one closer and closer to her exposed lips. _"LOKI!"_

He did not speak again, working in silence as her cries filled the room, repeating his name over and over. When the wax hit her wet folds, her world seemed to shatter around her. She only just managed to keep herself off of the edge of cumming, her whole body straining from the effort, trembling as she wailed in pain. "LOOOKI.. _LOKILOKILOKI..._ Please..pleaseplease _I cant_... I don't want to cum _I want to be good_ Master..I want to be good but I cant stop it _please_ please Master.." She babbled, the words falling in a jumble from her lips as he dripped wax across her clit. The searing pain made her head spin as she gasped and screamed out for him.

Finally he stopped. Her body was unsatisfied and tingling all over, as she still hovered just above that precipice. She knew that had he continued she would have lost all control, and she was grateful that he did not push her over that edge. He smiled gently and set aside the half an inch of candle that was still left and ran a hand through her hair affectionately.  
"Good girl... you did _very well._   Did you learn your lesson?" She nodded quickly, panting and gasping for air. "Yes, _yes Master_.. I did, yes..thank.. _thank you_ for disciplining me.." her face was flushed and her body quivered at each touch. She realised that she meant every word... she felt a swell of gratitude run through her. She wanted, _needed_ his firm hand to guide her, even when it was unpleasant.

A wave of his hand and the wax disappeared, leaving only angry red marks behind. She watched him pick up a small jar of something, dipping his finger into it. Then he was massaging lotion into the marks, and the soothing feeling made her moan aloud, her body calming down some as he carefully soothed each place the wax had burned.  
The ropes began to untie, slowly lowering her to a more comfortable sitting position on the couch, and when she was more fully relaxed, he swept her up in his arms and planted a kiss upon her forehead. "I _missed_ you my dear. Welcome _home."_

As he stood he pulled her up with him, carrying her over to the bed. The room was dark, and she thought he looked so much more mysterious and powerful in the dark. She raised a hand to cling to him as he deposited her in the bed. Then she frowned, suddenly alarmed as she watched him start to disappear his clothes in preparation for sleep, and she sat up suddenly, ignoring the ache in her body. "Ma.. _master_ , I..."

He shushed her gently and shook his head. "You do not need to do anything tonight. I want you to _rest._ You may return to serving me in the morning." As he spoke her leash appeared, connecting her collar to the bedpost as usual, and she relaxed, laying back down where he had placed her. As he got into the bed he wrapped an arm around her, drawing her close to him.  
"Tomorrow we have an important meeting with the Council of Alfheim. So get some sleep, love."

As she layed beside him, she fidgeted some, her body still anxious and tingling from all the play that had left her bereft. Her clit ached and her pussy still dripped. With a huff of frustration she moved her legs, scissoring them against each other, trying to relieve some of the pressure.  
In the dark, she heard him chuckle some. " _Poor pet..._ you still need to cum, don't you?"  
She blushed, turning her head away, her voice barely a whisper when she admitted, "Ye.. yes..Master.."

"Well, I'm afraid you will have to endure it. You will not be cumming tonight. And you will have to work hard to earn it tomorrow, or you will not be cumming then either, is that clear?" His voice was stern, but also gentle. It was not angry, only strict. And she nodded in acquiescence to his commands. She wanted to obey, even when it was difficult. _Especially_ when it was difficult.

As they settled in the bed, he wrapped his arms around her and nestled his chin into her neck. His front pressed against her back, and she felt at peace. Even though she wasn't sure how much sleep she would be getting, with her body aching for relief, she still felt at peace with her life. And she could feel his hardness behind her, pressing up against her, and she knew that he was denying himself as much as he was denying her, and she marveled at how much he cared for her. How deeply he felt their connection, and how deeply he wanted _her_ to feel it.

With a sigh, she felt herself drift off to sleep, nestled safely in his arms.


	17. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Alfheim is in Loki's hands, what does the god of Mischief have planned next...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> VERY short little Epilogue to tease what Im thinking of doing next!  
> Yes, I WILL do a third Loki Syndrome to complete his takeover, so I hope you will check back for more. Like last time, however, I AM going to take a quick break to explore some other writing ideas. Another short AU story for Anne and Loki, maybe another one shot Reader Insert, who knows!
> 
> Thank you so much to all of you who read and commented, you are amazing and keep me going! <3
> 
> EDIT: OMG VIVIANSTARK ON TUMBLR MADE ME A FANART AND IT IS AMAZING CHECK THIS SHIT OOUUTT:  
> http://its-pixiesthings.tumblr.com/post/124871459945/hi-here-is-a-gift-from-me-to-you-i-made-this

Loki peered into the pool, waving a hand over the water. It shimmered at his touch, as arcane words fell from his lips, green mist rising from the pool and filling the room. As he spoke, a figure came into view. A pale girl, thin and frail looking. Jet black hair in pigtails that seemed to float about her head of their own volition, long fringe obscuring her eyes from view.  
Her lips were painted poison green, and she wore a smile that seemed at once both sorrowful and menacing.

"Hello, my darling." His voice was filled with a fondness and affection as the woman came into view. Her smile broadened at his words and she nodded in greeting, her image rippling on the surface of the water.  
"Hello, Father. How have you fared?" Her voice was smooth and silky, a perfect feminine mirror to his own. He sighed with a wry grin, shaking his head slightly as he recalled the events of the days prior.

"Things took a few... _unforeseen turns_.. but they are back on track rather nicely. Alfheim is mine... Though Midgard's _heroes_ are on the loose again and may cause some trouble. But I will deal with that when I come to it. The Hulk has pledged himself to my cause, and I can think of no more effective weapon in my campaign."

She tilted her head as she listened, a frown upon her lips.  
"You should never have let that girl convince you to let the heroes live." Her words were not accusatory, merely a statement of pure fact. He nodded in agreement, but shrugged with a mischievous smile. "And yet, here we are. She believes they can be converted to my cause as well. I will let her try. And _you,_ my dear? Have you been successful in your campaign to take Muspelheim?"

Her head went back some as she laughed, a peal of pure sound that gave the illusion of multiple voices at once. A combination of youth and age that would have been unsetteling to anyone else. "Oh yes. The Fire Demons were easy to subdue. They are rash, and over confident in their own abilities. They fight hard, but burn out quick. And the dead have all the time in the world to wait..."  
"Good... and Svartalheim?" He watched her intently as she nodded again, a confident smirk resting upon her lips. "Svartalheim is next. I already have operatives sowing the seeds of discord that will be its undoing."  
He smiled. To her he delegated the Realms that were distasteful, because she thrived in the darkness and the gloom. She lived in the shadows, and shunned the sun. Half of his kingdom was to be allotted to her, though always with his hand as the ultimate ruling force. His daughter was a Queen, and she knew how to behave like one.

"Very good. So.... Five down. _Four_ to go."


End file.
